THE Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has told how a Kirk congregation heard the explosion at a hotel in the centre of Sri Lankan capital Colombo – one of a series that killed more than 200 people.
Rt Rev Susan Brown said worshippers were gathering at the local Kirk when they heard the blast at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo – a two-minute walk from them.
She said: “That these attacks have been perpetrated on Easter Sunday, the highlight of the Christian year, is devastating to all the churches in Sri Lanka and to Christians around the world.
“The World Mission Council has tried to be in touch with the local partners there, the Presbytery of Lanka and the National Council of Churches of Sri Lanka, but has had no news back so far.
“The Church of Scotland St Andrew’s congregation was gathering for worship in the centre of Colombo when they heard the bomb go off in the neighbouring hotel. The minister gave people the chance to go home immediately, but most people did not leave, instead staying to worship God and to pray together for everyone touched by these dreadful acts.”
With a Sri Lankan government-imposed block on the use of major social media networks, many people were unable to contact family or friends in the country.
However, others were lucky to have escaped the explosions.
Responding to a tweet from Nicola Sturgeon, James Collier said: “My wife is from Sri Lanka. We went on holiday there and only arrived back on Wednesday. Some of the blasts were close to her family but all are safe thank God.”
Simon Whitmarsh, a retired doctor from Wales holidaying in Sri Lanka, was cycling near Batticaloa when he heard a “big bang” and saw smoke billowing from the Zion Church.
The 55-year-old, a former consultant paediatrician, went to help at the local hospital but was told everything was in hand.
He told the BBC: “The hospital was heavily guarded by the army, who were stopping most people going in. All the streets around it were closed. It seemed very well organised.”
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