Celebrity chef’s tragic last meal
Several Americans were among the victims who were killed as they worshipped, vacationed and went about their lives in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, officials and reports said.
“While many details of the attacks are still emerging, we can confirm that several US citizens were among those killed,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
“The US Embassy is working tirelessly to provide all possible assistance to the American citizens affected by the attacks and their families.”
Two of the victims held dual US-British citizenship, authorities said.
Additionally, a lawyer and her 11-year-old son, both from Britain, were among the dead. Anita Nicholson, 42, and her son, Alex, were killed while eating breakfast with family at the Shangri-La hotel. The dad, Ben, was injured but he was expected to survive. The whereabouts of the couple’s daughter were unknown.
Most of the 290 confirmed dead and 500 wounded in the spate of terror bombings were Sri Lankans, officials said.
They included popular Sri Lankan TV chef Shantha Mayadunne and her daughter, Nisanga, according to reports.
The Britain-based Mayadunne — a household name in Sri Lanka thanks to her cookbooks, culinary school and cooking show — posted to Facebook a photo of her and her family enjoying Easter breakfast at the Shangri-La shortly before the attacks.
The upscale waterfront hotel where they were staying was one of four across the coastal capital city of Colombo ripped apart by a suicide bombing.
“Destiny has taken away both of them,” grief-stricken family friend Radha Fonseca told Gulf News, calling Mayadunne “well-respected and an inspirational chef for Sri Lankans. “I am devastated.” The island nation’s Foreign Ministry said the dead included at least 27 foreigners.
The governments of Portugal, China and Britain confirmed that they had lost one, two and five citizens, respectively.
Japan and Australia revealed late Sunday they each lost one national in the attacks, while India confirmed two of its citizens were killed.
Other victims were from Denmark, Turkey and the Netherlands, CNN reported.