Five British citizens killed in Sri Lankan bombings

At least five British citizens, including two US-UK dual nationals, were among more than 200 people killed in a coordinated wave of bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday that targeted tourists and Christian worshippers, the island’s foreign ministry has confirmed.

A government-ordered social media blackout in Sri Lanka to suppress fake news has hampered efforts by friends and family from outside the island to make contact with loved ones after the deadly attacks on luxury hotels and churches.

Related: Sri Lanka imposes curfew after at least 207 killed in attacks

One Dutch national, three Indians, one Portuguese, three Danes, two Turks, three Britons and two US-UK dual nationals and one Japanese citizen were among the 207 people confirmed to have been killed in the attacks.

The British MP Tulip Siddiq tweeted that she had lost a relative in the attacks but did not give any more details.

There are 25 unidentified bodies believed to be foreign nationals at a mortuary in Colombo, according to the Sri Lankan foreign ministry. Nineteen foreign nationals were injured in the bombings, all of which are being treated at Colombo national hospital. The vast majority of the 207 killed and 450 injured were Sri Lankan.

Mike Pompeo said several American citizens had been killed in the attacks, but said it was too early to give specific details.

“Attacks on innocent people gathering in a place of worship or enjoying a holiday meal are affronts to the universal values and freedoms that we hold dear, and demonstrate yet again the brutal nature of radical terrorists whose sole aim is to threaten peace and security,” the US secretary of state said in a statement.

A Sri Lankan TV chef and her daughter were among the first victims of the attacks to be named after they were killed in a blast at the Shangri-La hotel, according to family members. Nisanga Mayadunne, daughter of TV cook Shantha, posted a photo on social media with the caption “Easter breakfast with family” shortly before the attack.

Radha Fonseca, a friend of Nisanga, told Gulf News: “When I heard the news, I was left numbed and shocked. I don’t know what more to say. Nilanga was a very popular girl in college. Besides the fact that she was bright and smart, her mother Shantha Mayadunne, a renowned chef, made her more popular in college. She was well respected and an inspirational chef for Sri Lankans.”

Friends and family members expressed their frustration at the social media blackout in the country, which has left many people unable to contact loved ones on the island. Facebook said while the block was temporary, people relied on their services to communicate with family members.

Stories of survivors were also beginning to emerge. Radikaa Sarathkumar, an Indian actor, said she was in the Cinnamon Grand hotel in Colombo moments before it was hit with a bomb attack.

Julian Emmanuel and his family, from Surrey, were also staying at the Cinnamon Grand when the bomb went off. He told the BBC: “We were in our room and heard a large explosion. It woke us up. There were ambulances, fire crews, police sirens. I came out of the room to see what’s happening, we were ushered downstairs. We were told there had been a bomb. Staff said some people were killed. One member of staff told me it was a suicide bomber.”

James Dauris, the UK high commissioner to Sri Lanka, visited British citizens in hospital on Sunday, as he condemned the bombings.

In a post on Twitter, he said: “I’ve been speaking this afternoon with Brits in hospital who have been affected by today’s senseless attacks. My team’s and my thoughts go out to all those people who are suffering as a result of the deplorable violence Sri Lanka has witnessed this Easter Sunday.”

The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said the death toll of five Britons killed in the attack was “the latest figure that I have heard”.

Hunt added: “But obviously our high commissioner is working on this with his team … in Colombo, working around the clock, and we are trying to gather as much information as we can about this.

“There is a crisis centre that has been set up and there is an emergency helpline on the gov.uk website for anyone who has concerns about friends or relatives who may be holidaying in Sri Lanka.”

Stef Blok, the Dutch foreign minister, said one citizen from the Netherlands had died in the attacks. He tweeted: “Horrified by the terrible attacks on this Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka. Our thoughts are with the victims, including one Dutch national at this moment. The Netherlands has passed its heartfelt condolences to the Sri Lankan people. We stand with you.”

Two Chinese nationals were killed during the blasts on Sri Lankan churches and hotels on Sunday, the Chinese state newspaper People’s Daily reported. Earlier, the state news agency Xinhua said four Chinese nationals were injured, but were in a stable condition in hospital.

The two Turkish citizens among the dead were engineers working on a project in Sri Lanka, the state agency Anadolu said. Japanese nationals have been injured in the terror attacks, according to the Kyodo News agency.