AMN
Death toll in Sunday attacks revised to 253, from 359 reported earlier; Director General of Health Services blames the error in count of bodies.
Authorities earlier said that nine suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group called National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), carried out the devastating blasts that killed 359 people and wounded more than 500 others. A few days after the blasts, the Islamic State claimed responsibility.
But Dr Anil Jasinghe, Director General of the Health Services, said the larger death toll was released as a result of a calculation error. “The approximate total of the dead would be 253 and not 359 as reported in media,” he said.
Jasinghe said that at least 485 injured were admitted to six hospitals throughout the country.
“By 10 am today, the casualty number at hospitals has been reduced to 149. Only six had died in hospitals,” Jasinghe said.
Defence Secretary resigns
Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando has tendered his resignation to President Maithripala Sirisena today, sources said.
Earlier, the President called for the resignation of the defence secretary and IGP Pujith Jayasundara.
Addressing the nation on Tuesday night, the President said the police, the tri-forces and security forces would be restructured within a week and that there would be personnel changes with regards to the heads of the security forces within the next 24 hours which ended last night.
Defence Secretary Fernando came under fire with regard to a statement he made over the terror attacks and the way he handled the situation.