Sri Lanka reduces total death toll from attacks from 359 to 253.
Sri Lankan authorities have reduced the death toll from the Easter Sunday attacks from 359 to 253, following a revised figure released by the government on Friday (26); the government announced the dismissal of the police chief and reported that the alleged mastermind of the attacks, Sinhalese extremist Mohamed Zahran Hashim, died in the explosion at one of the luxury hotels.
By Agência Brasil*
Sri Lankan authorities have reduced the death toll from the Easter Sunday attacks from 359 to 253, following a revision released by the government on Friday (26).
Furthermore, the government announced the dismissal of the police chief and reported that the alleged mastermind of the attacks, the Sri Lankan extremist Mohamed Zahran Hashim, died in the explosion at one of the luxury hotels.
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health announced a correction to the death count, stating that the state of the bodies made it difficult to provide an accurate initial estimate and that some corpses were counted twice because they were dismembered.
Most of the victims were from Sri Lanka and members of the country's Christian minority.
At least 38 foreigners were also killed, including ten Indians, eight Britons, four Americans, one Portuguese citizen, and three of the four children of Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen.
The number of injured remained unchanged. Approximately 500 people were injured in the series of explosions at three Catholic churches and luxury hotels on Sunday.
According to authorities, the attacks were carried out by nine terrorists, including one woman, most of whom came from wealthy families and had a high level of education.
*With information from Deutsche Welle (Germany's public broadcaster)