Survivor of Sri Lanka bombing fears returning to church
Apr 22, 2019
Survivor of Sri Lanka bombing fears returning to church
NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka — St. Sebastian's Church in Sri Lanka's Negombo city was packed when Nilantha Lakmal arrived with his wife and three daughters for Easter Mass.
The pews already full, the family joined dozens of others in the front garden, listening to the priest through the church's open doors.
From the corner of his eye, Lakmal saw a man with a large blue backpack walking quickly down the left-hand aisle of the 1940s Gothic-style church, patterned after the Reims Cathedral in France.
Within seconds, a bomb went off.
"I was scared. I was shouting. I was shouting for my daughters. I was shouting the name of my youngest daughter. I was running around, looking for my family. It felt like a long time but I found them," Lakmal said.
He hurried them to an auto rickshaw that was waiting on the street near the church, and then headed back to look for his parents and his nephew, who had arrived at the church separately.
All eight relatives were unharmed, including his daughters aged 8, 6 and 1.
Nearly all at once, seven suicide bombers attacked three churches and three luxury hotels, according to a Sri Lankan government forensic analysis. The bombers were all Sri Lankan nationals and part of a local militant group named National Thowfeek Jamaath. Hours later, three more bombings took place.
All told, at least 290 people were killed and about 500 others were wounded. The Easter Sunday violence was the deadliest the South Asian island country has seen since a bloody civil war ended a decade ago.
At St. Sebastian's, where Lakmal was married and where he baptized his daughters, he said he led shocked and wounded people flowing out of the building toward the street. He didn't have the wherewithal to go inside.
On Monday, he said he got a headache as he recalled seeing bodies taken from the sanctuary and tossed into the back of a truck.
He spoke to The Associated Press outside the home of a 12-year-old girl who was killed in the blast and whose mother was being treated for critical injuries at Negombo's main hospital.
Lakmal, 41, remembers well the bloody end of Sri Lanka's civil war, which the United Nations estimated left about 100,000 people dead. The war ended in 2009 with the government's defeat of the Tamil Tigers, a rebel group from the ethnic Tamil minority fighting for independence from Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka.
But he had never expected his neighborhood church in Negombo, a largely Catholic city north of Colombo, would be a target.
Lakmal frequently went to St. Sebastian's for Bible study or to pray before the statue of the Catholic martyr holding a shield and a sword.
The church had been planning to celebrate a big feast day for Jesus' mother Mary at the end of May.
But even if it had reopened by then, Lakmal said he doubted he'd return.
___
Schmall reported from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
MORE NEWS
US Federal Reserve Interest Rate prediction: Fed experts are making bold forecast
US Fed Interest Rate Forecast: Benchmark 10-year Treasury note yield touched a 24-year high before falling back to around 5.24 per cent. Higher long-term bond yields show market participants expect strong economic growth and a higher Fed policy rate
OpenAI sacks 3 researchers over leaking 'sensitive' info, ChatGPT maker alerts over 100 organizations about rogue AI agent activity
ChatGPT maker has been conducting a broad review of the activities of its AI models after the accidental hacking of Hugging Face. OpenAI is searching through roughly 50 petabytes of data as it works to understand the full scope of its rogue agent activity.
Donald Trump's closest adviser Stephen Miller's wife Katie Miller cyberstalking case: What has happened as Massachusetts man charged by Federal prosecutors
Katie Miller is a conservative podcaster who is married to Stephen Miller, one of President Donald Trump's closest advisers.
Nike stock plunges after shocking earnings report, company plans lay offs
Nike earnings statement shows that the company projected sales in the current fiscal year would fall by "high-single digits". Nike reported a two percent drop in quarterly profits to $712 million. Revenues fell four percent to $11.2 billion for the quarter ending August 31, the first quarter of Nike's fiscal 2027.
Nike stock falls after revenue miss, NKE forecasts 2027 revenue decline and announces layoffs - here's what investors need to know
Nike stock after NKE earnings: Nike stock is down after the company reported a quarterly revenue miss and forecast a high-single-digit revenue decline for fiscal 2027. Nike also announced layoffs as part of a restructuring plan expected to generate about $2.5 billion in savings through fiscal 2031.
US midterm elections 2026: Trump's approval rating falls to record low as 2026 Midterms near
A recent AP-NORC poll shows Donald Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 31%, reflecting increasing public dissatisfaction. With midterm elections on the horizon, voters voiced their worries about the economy and rising prices, emphasizing 17% approval for Trump's management of cost of living. In response, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle defended Trump’s record by pointing out his significant policy achievements that could influence the forthcoming elections in November 2026.
Bitcoin price target: Why Citi raised its BTC USD forecast to $113,000 from $82,000 as the cryptocurrency rebounds
Bitcoin (BTC USD) price target: Citigroup has increased its 12-month Bitcoin price target from $82,000 to $113,000 due to favorable market conditions. The bank expects $5 billion in crypto investment product inflows over the next year as advisers increase allocations. Spot Bitcoin ETFs have started seeing renewed inflows after significant outflows earlier this year.
US Midterm Elections 2026: Here’s how to vote, register and cast your ballot
US Midterm Elections 2026: Voters need to be aware of registration deadlines and voting rules that vary by state. The 2026 U.S. midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, impacting numerous federal and state positions. Early voting and absentee ballot options are available depending on state regulations. Voter ID requirements must also be consulted to ensure compliance with local laws. Checking state election resources will provide the latest updates on procedures and deadlines.
Malaysia Airlines stopped using flight code MH370 after the plane disappeared with 239 people aboard - why airlines retire flight numbers after aviation tragedies
Malaysia Airlines MH370: Malaysia Airlines changed flight numbers MH370 and MH371 following the aircraft's disappearance in March 2014. The aircraft, carrying 239 people, vanished during its journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Extensive search operations were conducted in the Indian Ocean, but the main wreckage remains undiscovered.
Social Security claiming age names could change: Will your benefits change? What new labels for ages 62, 67 and 70 really mean
Congress has cleared a bill that would give Social Security’s key claiming ages new names. The proposal would call 62 the “minimum monthly benefit age,” 67 the “standard monthly benefit age,” and 70 the “maximum monthly benefit age.” The ages themselves would not change. The goal is to make the benefit trade-offs easier to understand before workers decide when to claim.