Sri Lankan police and media reported a series of explosions in the Colombo capital city and elsewhere in the island state.

There were explosions in at least three churches and three hotels, police say.

Representatives of Colombo National Hospital, says Reuters, reported at least 100 perished and 400 wounded, according to sources of the France press, the victims are now 138. Police talk of 50 victims only in one of the churches. Earlier, other local media reported that the bomb wounded in a temple were at least 80 people.

The churches are in three different cities - St. Anthony in Kochikade in the capital, St. Sebastian in Katavapitia, 30 km north of Colombo, and Tsion in Batikaloa, 250 km east of the capital. The hotels are Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Sinamon Grand in Colombo (all three five-star according to the local Colombo telegraph newspaper). In a video posted on the site of St. Sebastian's church, the destruction is visible - the blast has destroyed most of the roof.

Explosions occurred while the Catholic world celebrated the Resurrection of Christ.

The coincidence of blasts at several locations at the same time suggests that they were deliberately triggered. No one has taken responsibility.

Buddhists are a majority in Sri Lanka. Muslims are 9.7% and Catholics - only 6% of the population, but religion is considered to be unifying of the ethnic groups of Tamil and Sinhali who have fought civil war and tens of thousands of victims a few decades ago.

The president urged residents not to believe rumours. According to local media, schools across the country tomorrow will remain closed.

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