COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- The latest on explosions in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday (all times local):
4:53 a.m.
A man whose Australian wife and only child died in a bomb blast in a Sri Lanka church said he walked out ahead of his family moments before the explosion.
Sudesh Kolonne told Australian Broadcasting Corp. that he saw his 10-year-old daughter Alexendria dead on the floor of St. Sebastian Catholic Church. Her mother Manik Suriaaratchi was also killed.
"I don't know what to do," he said. "We used to go to that church every Sunday. We never expected this."
Kolonne said the family moved from the Australian city of Melbourne in 2014 to Sri Lanka, where his wife started a consultancy business. Their child was a student at an international school at Colombo.
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2:16 a.m.
The U.N. Security Council has condemned the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka as "heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks."
The U.N.'s most powerful body issued a statement Monday expressing sympathy and the need to hold perpetrators of the violence accountable.
Sri Lanka's U.N. mission plans a memorial meeting Wednesday for diplomats based at the world organization's headquarters in New York.
Through a spokeswoman, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of Portugal expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and the people and government of Sri Lanka.
At least 290 people died and 500 were injured in bomb blasts.
Officials in the South Asian island nation say seven suicide bombers from a local militant Muslim group carried out the main attacks.
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1:42 a.m.
The FBI says it's providing assistance in the investigation into the Easter bombings in Sri Lanka.
An FBI spokeswoman confirmed the aid on Monday but did not elaborate on what specific help was being offered or provided.
The FBI routinely helps foreign governments in investigating terror attacks outside the United States, including by providing agents on the ground or technical expertise.
Nearly 300 people were killed and 500 were injured in the series of bomb blasts. Sri Lankan officials say the main attacks were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a local militant Muslim group.
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12:50 a.m.
Officials at an elite Washington-area private school confirmed the death in Sri Lanka of one of its students in an email to parents.
The Washington Post has reported the fifth-grade boy, Kieran Shafritz de Zoysa, had been on leave for the last year in Sri Lanka and was killed in the bomb attacks Sunday.
The school, Sidwell Friends, wrote that Kieran was passionate about learning and adored his friends,
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11:49 p.m.
The U.S. State Department is confirming that at least four Americans were killed in a series of Easter Sunday bombings that rocked Sri Lanka.
The department says that in addition to those killed, several others were seriously injured.
It gave no details about the identities of the victims, citing privacy concerns. It extended condolences to friends and families of all victims and said it was continuing to provide support to Americans affected by the blasts.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier that the Christian holiday had been "marred by a horrific wave of Islamic radical terror and bloodshed."
Nearly 300 people were killed in the explosions.
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11:10 p.m.
There is conflicting information from Sri Lanka government officials about how many foreigners died in the attacks.
Tourism Minister John Amaratunga says 39 foreigners were killed. But the country's foreign ministry put the number of foreigners killed 31. The differing figures could not immediately be reconciled late Monday night.
At least 290 people died and 500 were injured in nine bomb blasts. Sri Lankan officials say the main attacks were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a local militant Muslim group.
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11 p.m.
Sri Lanka's president has declared April 23 a national day of mourning.
President Maithripala Sirisena's office announced the measure in a statement late Monday.
The statement also says that Sirisena would meet with foreign diplomats to seek international assistance.
It citied intelligence agencies' reports that "international groups" were involved with the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka that killed nearly 300 people. The statement did not provide more details about the groups.
The statement also said the president instructed Sri Lanka's security forces to provide additional security at the nation's Catholic churches.
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10:45 p.m.
Spain's foreign ministry says a Spanish man and woman were among those killed in a series of bombings in Sri Lanka.
The foreign ministry says in a statement Monday that the Spanish embassy in India is trying to obtain their death certificates. It says that due to privacy laws it cannot provide further information on the two victims.
However, the mayor of Pontecesures in northwest Spain, Juan Manuel Vidal, tells Radio Galega he knew the local pair and says they were in their 30s. That is according to a report by Spanish news agency Europa Press.
No further details were immediately available.
At least 290 people were killed in a series of nine bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
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9:30 p.m.
An American man who was excited to be in Sri Lanka for his job with an international education company was among those killed in the Easter blasts.
Dieter Kowalski's family in Madison, Wisconsin, was notified of his death Sunday. His mother, Inge (IN'-gah) Kowalski, told The Associated Press on Monday that she's working with the embassy to bring her son's body back to the United States. She says the family's in shock.
Kowalski lived in Denver and was a senior leader of the operational technical services team for the company Pearson. CEO John Fallon said in a message on LinkedIn that Kowalski had just arrived at his hotel when he was killed in an explosion.
Fallon said Kowalski was big-hearted and known for jumping in on challenging problems.
At least 290 people died and 500 were injured in nine bomb blasts. Sri Lankan officials say the main attacks were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a local militant Muslim group.
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9:15 p.m.
The president of the United Nations General Assembly has expressed "sorrow and solidarity" after the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.
Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces paused to offer her condolences as the assembly opened a meeting Monday at UN headquarters in New York.
She strongly condemned Sunday's attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka.
At least 290 people died and 500 were injured in nine bomb blasts. Sri Lankan officials say the main attacks were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a local militant Muslim group.
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9 p.m.
Sri Lanka's UN ambassador is cautioning Sri Lankans overseas "to use social media responsibly" in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings in their country.
Amrith Rohan Perera's statement Monday came after his government shut down most social sites within the island nation. The move reflected rising distrust in American internet giants' ability to control harmful content.
The ambassador says the government is temporarily blocking sites "to prevent speculative and mischievous attempts to spread rumours until investigations are concluded."
He urged expatriates to use social platforms to support one another but to "prevent inadvertently spread panic and mistrust."
At least 290 people died and 500 were injured in nine bomb blasts Sunday in churches and hotels. Sri Lankan officials attributed the main attacks to seven suicide bombers from a local militant Muslim group.
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8:30 p.m.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called the prime minister of Sri Lanka to express condolences for Easter attacks that killed nearly 300 people.
White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley says Trump called Ranil Wickremesinghe Monday morning.
A total of nine bombings on Easter Sunday killed at least 290 people and wounded about 500 more.
Trump pledged United States support to Sri Lanka in bringing the perpetrators to justice, and the leaders re-affirmed their commitment to the fight against global terrorism.
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8 p.m.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. mourns the victims of Easter bomb attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka and is committed to confronting terrorism together with the Sri Lankan people.
At least 290 people died and 500 were injured in nine bomb blasts on Sunday. Sri Lankan officials say the co-ordinated attacks were carried out by seven suicide bombers from a local militant Muslim group.
Most of the victims were Sri Lankans, but Pompeo confirmed that some were American, without specifying the number. He told journalists on Monday that the U.S. government is offering "all possible assistance" to Americans and Sri Lankans alike.
He added: "Today, our nation grieves with the people of Sri Lanka and we stand committed, resolved, to confront terrorism together."
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6:15 p.m.
Sri Lanka's president has given the military sweeping war-time powers to arrest and detain suspects following a series of Easter Sunday bombings that killed at least 290 people.
President Maithripala Sirisena's office announced late Monday that the measure would take effect at midnight. In addition, a government curfew was to begin at 8 p.m.
On Monday, armed security personnel stood guard on street corners in central Colombo that were largely deserted, with most shops closed.
Provisions that granted police powers to the military had been withdrawn at the end of Sri Lanka's civil war, which ended in 2009.
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4:40 p.m.
Sri Lanka's minister of tourism says 39 foreign tourists were killed in the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels, while another 28 were wounded.
John Amaratunga says his ministry is working closely with the ministry of foreign affairs and local diplomatic missions to "ensure formalities with regard to the victims are sorted out as quickly as possible."
In Monday's statement he added, "The government has already offered assistance to all victims, the damaged places of worship as well as the hotels affected by Sunday's attacks."
He said Sri Lanka's tourism industry and the government was doing everything possible to ensure the safety of those in the country.
A total of nine bombings Sunday killed at least 290 people and wounded about 500 more.
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4:40 p.m.
Sri Lanka's minister of tourism says 39 foreign tourists were killed in the Easter Sunday attacks on churches and hotels, while another 28 were wounded.
John Amaratunga says his ministry is working closely with the ministry of foreign affairs and local diplomatic missions to "ensure formalities with regard to the victims are sorted out as quickly as possible."
In Monday's statement he added, "The government has already offered assistance to all victims, the damaged places of worship as well as the hotels affected by Sunday's attacks."
He said Sri Lanka's tourism industry and the government was doing everything possible to ensure the safety of those in the country.
A total of nine bombings Sunday killed at least 290 people and wounded about 500 more.
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4:40 p.m.
Pope Francis is asking everyone to join him in condemning the "inhuman" Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.
Greeting faithful in St. Peter's Square on Monday, Francis also invited prayers for the victims of the attacks, including at least 290 dead and some 500 wounded.
The pope said, "I hope everyone condemns these inhuman and never justified terrorist acts."
Expressing his fraternal closeness to the people of Sri Lanka, Francis encouraged people not to hesitate to offer all necessary assistance in the wake of the nine bombings, which devastated three churches during Easter services and three hotels filled with tourists.
A day earlier, after celebrating Easter Mass in the square, Francis had expressed his sorrow and dismay over the attacks.
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4:30 p.m.
A van parked near a Sri Lankan church that was bombed on Easter Sunday has exploded, but no injuries have been reported.
Police went to inspect the van Monday after people reported it had been parked near St. Anthony's Shrine since Sunday.
They discovered three bombs that they tried to defuse. Instead, the bombs detonated, sending pedestrians fleeing in panic.
A series of bombings Sunday killed at least 290 people, including at least 27 foreigners. About 500 others were wounded in the blasts.
Officials said 24 suspects are in custody for questioning
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4:30 p.m.
Sri Lankan authorities say they've found 87 bomb detonators in the capital, Colombo.
Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekaran said police found 12 detonators scattered at Colombo's main bus depot on Monday and hours later found another 75 detonators at a garbage dump in the same area.
No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
Gunasekara declined to say whether the detonators were linked to a series of bombs that rocked churches, hotels and other sites on Sunday, killing at least 290 people.
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4:30 p.m.
Danish media are saying that three of the four children of a Danish business tycoon who is allegedly the Nordic country's richest man and a major private landowner in Britain died in the Sri Lanka bombings.
Danish broadcaster TV2 Monday cited information it received from the Bestseller clothing chain, of which Anders Holch Povlsen is the sole owner. The company didn't provide any further information "out of respect to the family."
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet said the 46-year-old Holch Povlsen and his wife, Anne Holch Povlsen, were vacationing in Sri Lanka with their children.
Holch Povlsen is Britain's second-largest and Scotland's-largest private landowner and the biggest shareholder in fashion retailer ASOS.com.
The Danish foreign ministry confirmed that three Danish citizens were killed in the Sri Lankan attacks, which claimed over 200 lives.
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4 p.m.
Sri Lanka's top diplomat in Britain says authorities know of eight British nationals killed in the Easter Sunday bomb attacks on churches and hotels in and around Colombo.
High Commissioner to the U.K. Manisha Gunasekera told BBC Monday that "as of now" it is believed eight British nationals died. She said the investigation is moving "very swiftly."
British officials have said only that some Britons died. They have not provided information on the number of British casualties. More details are expected to emerge later Monday.
Sri Lanka is a popular holiday destination for Britons.
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2:25 p.m.
A Sri Lankan government official says a local militant group named National Thowfeek Jamaath is responsible for the Easter Sunday suicide bombings.
Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne said at a news conference Monday that all seven bombers linked to the near-simultaneous attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels in and around Colombo were Sri Lankan citizens.
Officials say the causes of three later bombings on Sunday are still being investigated.
He said that while the group is domestic, foreign links are suspected.
A total of nine bombings Sunday killed at least 290 people including at least 27 foreigners. About 500 others were wounded in the blasts.
Officials said 24 suspects are in custody for questioning.
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12:45 p.m.
Australia's prime minister says two Australian citizens died and another two were injured in the Sri Lankan bomb blasts.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the two Australians killed were from the same family and lived in Sri Lanka. One was a dual citizen.
Morrison says two other dual citizens were injured but are in stable conditions. He says one is being treated for shrapnel wounds and the other has a broken leg.
Australia has advised its citizens to reconsider their need to travel to Sri Lanka, the second highest security alert.
Most of the 290 dead were Sri Lankan but the government has confirmed at least 27 foreigners among the dead. The United States, India, Britain, China, Japan and Portugal have confirmed their nationals were among the dead.
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11:45 a.m.
A Sri Lankan government forensic crime analyst tells The Associated Press that the six near-simultaneous attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels in and around Colombo on Easter Sunday were carried out by seven suicide bombers.
The government analyst Ariyananda Welianga says an analysis of the attackers' body parts collected from the scenes shows that the attacks were suicide bombings.
Welianga says two people were involved in the attack at the Shangri-La hotel. One bomber each attacked the Cinnamon Grand and Kingsbury hotels and St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian's church in the city of Negombo and Zion Church in the city of Batticaloa.
Two bombings hours later at a guesthouse and near an overpass on the outskirts of Colombo are still under investigation. Suspects detonated explosives at a safe house near the overpass blast, killing three officers.
All told, more than 200 people were killed and 500 wounded in the nine attacks.
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11 a.m.
A second Chinese citizen has been confirmed killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.
Xinhua news agency cited the Chinese Embassy in Colombo as confirming the fatality. The report said the number of injuries among Chinese was still being confirmed. The United States, Britain, India and other countries have also confirmed their citizens were among the 290 dead.
China has extensive business ties with Sri Lanka and is sending growing numbers of business people, tourists and workers to the island.
Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have sent condolences and said they firmly support the Sri Lankan government's effort to maintain security and stability, according to Xinhua.
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10:45 a.m.
A Sri Lanka military spokesman says that an explosive device was found and defused late Easter Sunday on an access road to the international airport near Colombo.
The discovery came after nine bomb attacks shook Colombo and its outskirts, targeting churches where worshippers were celebrating Easter, luxury hotels frequented by tourists and other sites.
Air Force Group Captain Gihan Seneviratne said Monday that authorities found a "homemade" pipe bomb filled with 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of explosives Sunday night in Andiambalama, near the airport.
It's not clear what kind of detonation method or target was planned, but Seneviratne said the bomb was large enough to have caused damage to a 400-meter (400-yard) radius.
Sunday's bombings killed 290 people and wounded about 500 more.
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9 a.m.
The United Nations secretary-general is expressing condolences over the Sri Lankan bombings on Easter Sunday.
The statement issued by spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was outraged by the terrorist attacks on churches and hotels on a "sacred day for Christians around the world" and hoped the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.
He said Sri Lanka had the support and solidarity of the United Nations in its difficult moment.
The bombings killed 290 people and were Sri Lanka's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended a decade ago.
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8:40 a.m.
Police say the death toll from the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka has increased to 290.
Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara also said Monday more than 500 people had been wounded.
The nine bombings of churches, luxury hotels and other sites was Sri Lanka's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended a decade ago.
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8:30 a.m.
Indian officials say five Indians were killed in Sunday's Sri Lanka bombings.
The external affairs minister and the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka identified the five victims in a series of tweets.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Sri Lankan leaders and condemned the blasts. Modi tweeted, "There is no place for such barbarism in our region. India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka."
Sri Lankan authorities have said at least 27 of the more than 200 dead were foreigners. The United States said several were Americans but didn't give a figure. Japan has confirmed one dead. Sri Lanka's foreign ministry says one Portuguese, two Turkish nationals, three British nationals and two holding U.S. and British nationalities were among the dead.
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8 a.m.
Sri Lankan authorities have lifted a curfew that was in place overnight following Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 200 people.
The streets in the capital, Colombo, were largely deserted Monday morning, with most shops closed and a heavy deployment of soldiers and police. Stunned clergy and onlookers gathered at St. Anthony's Shrine, looking past the soldiers to the damaged church that was targeted in one of the blasts.
The nine bombings of churches, luxury hotels and other sites was Sri Lanka's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended a decade ago. Police the death toll, which was 207 late Sunday, had risen overnight but the figure wasn't immediately released.
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7:30 a.m.
Police in Sri Lanka say the investigation into the Easter Sunday bombings will examine reports that the intelligence community failed to detect or warn of possible suicide attacks before the violence.
The nine bombings of churches, luxury hotels and other sites was Sri Lanka's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war in the South Asian island nation ended a decade ago. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said Monday the death toll, which was 207 late Sunday, had risen overnight but the figure wasn't immediately released.
Two government ministers have alluded to intelligence failures. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said Monday that the Criminal Investigation Department investigating the blasts will look into the reports.
Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardena previously described the blasts as a terrorist attack by religious extremists.
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5 a.m.
Japan is confirming one of its citizens was killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka and at least four were wounded.
Foreign Minister Taro Kono offered his condolences to all the victims of the attacks and expressed Japan's commitment in "combatting terrorism" and solidarity with Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka's defence minister has blamed the attacks on religious extremists but no group has yet claimed responsibility.
Japan also issued a safety warning, telling Japanese people in Sri Lanka to avoid churches, mosques, public places like malls and nightclubs, and government offices related to public security.
Sri Lanka's foreign ministry has said at least 27 foreigners were among the more than 200 people killed. Other foreign victims were confirmed from the United States, Britain, China and Portugal. The nine bombings Sunday was the deadliest violence in the South Asian island country since the end of the civil war in 2009.
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11:45 p.m.
A group that monitors internet censorship says Sri Lankan authorities have blocked most social media services in the country following attacks that killed more than 200 people on Easter Sunday.
The NetBlocks observatory says it detected an intentional nationwide blackout of popular services including Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Sri Lankan officials said Sunday they are temporarily blocking social media to curtail the spread of false information and ease tensions until their investigation is concluded.
NetBlocks director Alp Toker says such post-attack shutdowns are often ineffective and can end up creating an information vacuum that's easily exploited. The group says the country is also blocking messaging apps.
Facebook says in a statement that people rely on its services to communicate with loved ones and it's committing to maintaining service in the country.
