Taiwanese citizen injured in Sri Lanka bomb blasts

斯里蘭卡炸彈爆炸案一名台灣人受傷

One Taiwanese citizen injured after blast in Shangri-La Hotel in Sri Lanka TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- One Taiwanese man has been injured after nine bombs struck churches, luxury hotels, and other sites on Easter Sunday, killing at least 207 people and wounding 450, reported CNA. After the blasts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) contacted its office in charge of managing affairs for Taiwan in Chennai, India and was informed that a Taiwanese male tourist staying the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo had suffered an injury to his foot. In the chaos of an emergency evacuation of the hotel after the blast tore through its Table One cafe just past 9 a.m. local time, the Taiwanese man forgot to wear shoes and cut his foot on broken glass. The office said that the man had been sent to a hospital for treatment and was maintaining contact with him. Officials of the office said that it is in continuous contact with relevant local authorities and providing all necessary assistance to Taiwanese citizens. Taiwanese citizens in Sri Lanka who need assistance can call the office's emergency hotline at +91-96000-99511. Fan Cheng-chieh (范成杰), director of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council's Colombo office told CNA that there are more than 30 Taiwanese citizens living in Sri Lanka, including Taiwanese married to local Sri Lankans and over a dozen Taiwanese businessmen. Fan said that as the blasts had apparently targeted 5-star hotels and churches that were frequented by foreigners, he advised Taiwanese citizens to exercise caution when visiting such structures. Fan said because of the large number of casualties, sirens and ambulances were constantly heard throughout the morning shuttling wounded through the streets. Fortunately, Taiwan's Overseas Community Affairs Council said that there were no other reports of injuries, and all Taiwanese members were believed to be safe and sound. Currently, no group has come forward to claim responsibility for the bombings. The motive for the attacks is not yet known, though Sri Lankan authorities received advanced notice that the radical Muslim group NTJ (National Thowheed Jamath) may have been planning such bombings. MOFA spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said the ministry strongly condemns the terrorist attacks for causing such serious harm to innocent people. Lee said MOFA and its office in Chennai will maintain communications with relevant local government units and overseas Taiwanese business groups at all times, keep abreast of developments, and provide necessary assistance. In addition to the travel advisories issued by Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and other countries, the U.S. State Department has also issued an advisory for travel to Sri Lanka.
Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2019-04-22