AUSSIE VICTIMS
A MOTHER and her 10-yearold daughter from Victoria have been confirmed as victims of the Sri Lankan Easter Sunday bomb attacks. They were among at least 290 victims of the blasts which injured more than 500 others. Prime Minister Scott Morrison last night confirmed the deaths of Manik Suriaaratchi and daughter Alexandria, as well as two other Australian women injured in the attacks.
A MUM and her daughter have been revealed as the Australians tragically killed in Sri Lanka.
Tributes have flowed on Facebook for Manik Suriaaratchi and daughter Alexandria, inset right, who were killed while attending Easter Sunday mass at a Negombo church.
Sri Lankan-Australians have remembered the pair on Facebook. “You will never be forgotten and always in our hearts,” Lucien Pereira wrote, calling Alexandria an “angel”.
Devastated journalists from AusNewsLaNka, an online news magazine for Sri Lankans in Australia, confirmed last night the mother and daughter, from the southeast suburbs of Victoria, were victims.
Suranga Tennakoon also posted on Facebook last night: “We lost another most valuable asset to Hospitality Industry, she is Manik Suriaaratchi. My deepest sympathies! So sorry to hear of your loss.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday confirmed their deaths and Australian injuries in the Easter Sunday blasts, which has killed at least 290 people and injured more than 500. The two deceased were living in Sri Lanka.
Mr Morrison said out of respect for the family, no further details were available on Manik and her daughter, other than that one of the victims was a dual national.
Of the injured Australians, one was a woman in her mid-50s and one a woman in her mid to late-20s.
“Out of respect for the family I can’t provide any further detail about these individuals other than to say we deeply regret these deaths,” Mr Morrison said. “We extend our deepest and most sincere sympathy to the family.”
The two injured women also held dual citizenship.
“Both are in a stable condition, I understand,” Mr Morrison said. “One was treated for shrapnel wounds and the other was treated for a broken leg.”
He could not rule out more Australians being injured or killed in the tragedy.
“The circumstances of this horrible massacre – we are now at a level where we have over 500 people injured,” he said. “And when it comes to those who are deceased, the most recent figures we have now is the death toll has risen to 290, that is what the police are reporting.
“As the days pass and the injured are treated and some of them succumb to their wounds as well, we are seeing this massacre go from what was bad, very bad, to much, much worse.
“It is just a terribly sad day. Sri Lanka will be devastated by this as I think all peace-loving people are.”
The co-ordinated bombings that ripped through Sri Lankan churches and luxury hotels, and injured more than 30 foreigners, were carried out by seven suicide bombers, a government investigator said.
An analysis of the attackers’ body parts made clear that they were suicide bombers, said Ariyananda Welianga, a forensic crime investigator.
He said most attacks were by one bomber, with two at Colombo’s Shangri-La Hotel.
The bombings are Sri Lanka’s deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended a decade ago.
Sri Lankan police investigating the bombings are examining reports that intelligence agencies had warnings of possible attacks up to 10 days ago, officials said yesterday.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters that “information was there” about possible attacks and that an investigation would look into “why adequate precautions were not taken”.
As the days pass ... we are seeing this massacre go from what was bad, very bad, to much, much worse
PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON