With a diaspora estimated to be more than 100,000 people of Sri Lankan origin and descent in Canada, the bombings that rocked hotels and churches in the South Asian community Sunday were felt here, as well as by Canadians who were in the vicinity at the time.

Canadian Chris Plosaj was eating breakfast at Colombo’s Shangri-La Hotel — one site of the bombings — just 10 minutes before the restaurant was rocked by two massive explosions.

“The place we were eating less than 10 minutes prior is now a black hole with rubble,” said Plosaj, an Ottawa native now living in Hong Kong.

He added that he and his friend decided to head back up to their hotel room to pack when he heard a loud thud that sounded like someone falling off a bed a floor above. Then, a minute or so later, a much louder boom that shook the window and the floor.

Plosaj said that he knew “something was wrong” shortly after because he heard sirens and saw the military police running toward the hotel. Then, he the hotel alarm went off advising the guests to evacuate.

“We took the stairs from the 23rd floor. The lower we got, the more blood we saw. It started as drips and then pools of water and blood, gathered in the flooded hallways,” he added.

“I can’t believe it happened. It’s such a beautiful country and the people are so wonderful,” Plosaj said. “The Sri Lankan people have been so warm and welcoming here.”

Canada’s department of Global Affairs says it has no reports of any Canadians caught in the blasts. But those in Canada with personal ties to Sri Lanka were reeling on Sunday.

Pastor Vincent Sahayanathan Muthulingam of the Harvest Missionary Church on Bellamy Rd. in Scarborough, was woken in the middle of the night with news of the attacks. He travels often to Sri Lanka, works with many churches there, and knows some of the victims, having ministered at the one of the churches that was attacked.

“I got the call around 12:30 to 1 a.m. from Sri Lanka, and the second church (Zion Church in Batticaloa), that was my friend’s church. I preached there many times. That’s where I grew up. I know some people have that have lost their lives, including my director, who worked there in missions since 2012. He lost his life,” said Muthilingam. “I work there all the time. I go there almost every month, all over Sri Lanka, in many churches. I am almost like a daddy to many pastors at the churches there, so they called me immediately, crying.”

He couldn’t sleep and watched the reports of the devastation all night, but then gave a message of hope at this morning’s sermon.

“The only thing is that I had to tell my people to keep love in their hearts, and keep praying for the wounded and the injured, and for the families who have lost their husbands, or wives or their children.”

He also said that he hoped Canadian Christians will help rebuild the churches when the time for aid comes.

Nabeel Madar Mohammed is a Colombo resident and married to a Canadian. His wife, Fathima Nuzha Mubarak, was visiting him in Sri Lanka as they await his immigration application to Canada. He realized something serious had happened when family and friends were calling to check in on him after the first blasts occurred at around 9 a.m. local time.

“We basically tried to stay (indoors) and update ourselves through the local news and social media. There was a lot of confusion and panic around,” he told the Star via email.

The Sri Lankan government subsequently blocked access to social media, with the stated purpose of containing the spread of misinformation, but this made it difficult for Mubarak to contact her family. Later that afternoon, Mohammed said he heard a blast from his home in the Dehiwala neighbourhood of Colombo, as a hotel near the Dehiwala zoo was bombed in the afternoon.

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“We were traumatized and my wife did not have any way to communicate to her family in Canada,” Mohammad said.

The city’s illuminated “Toronto” sign at Nathan Phillips Square would be dimmed Sunday “in solidary with Sri Lanka following today’s tragic attacks,” Mayor John Tory tweeted Sunday.

David Poopalapillai was at church in Mississauga for Easter Sunday services, and had already heard about members of his extended family that were affected by the blasts.

“Some of my relatives have relatives that died in the blast, back in Batticaloa. It’s an eastern coastal town. This has affected the entire community. This is so tragic. The entire community is mourning. The international community is mourning,” he said. “(My relatives) just called me, they are crying over the phone. it is so devastating. And what a loss. There are no words that I can comprehend to tell you how we feel about it.”

Poopalapillai hopes that a local memorial and vigil will be organized soon, as well as if there any foreign aid that may be necessary.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement condemning the attacks and declaring that he was “shocked and saddened to hear of the devastating terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka” and offered “heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost loved ones” on behalf of his government.

“Places of worship are sacred, where all should feel safe and secure. No one should be targeted because of their faith. For millions of people around the world, Easter is a time to reflect on Jesus’ message of compassion and kindness — a time to come together with friends and family. We cannot let attacks like these weaken the hope we share.

“To the people of Sri Lanka and other communities affected by today’s attacks: Canada stands with you. We will continue to work with you and other international partners to combat terrorism and violent extremism and to promote greater peace and stability around the world.”

Cardinal Thomas Collins of the Archdiocese of Toronto took to Twitter to note, “On a day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Easter joy is numbed by the horrific attacks in Sri Lanka, targeting churches and hotels. We condemn the targeted violence against Christians that is taking place at an alarmingly frequent rate worldwide. The slaughter of innocent families in a place of worship is particularly heinous. I invite all of the faithful in the Archdiocese of Toronto to lift our collective voices in prayer for the hundreds killed and injured.”

Global Affairs now urges Canadian would-be travellers to Sri Lanka to “Exercise a high degree of caution in Sri Lanka due to the security situation.”

Sivan Ilangko, president of the Canadian Tamil Congress, said his organization is considering a vigil “in the next few days, here in the GTA” but nothing had been confirmed.

Evelyn Kwong is a digital producer based in Toronto. She is also a Star contributor. Follow her on Twitter: @evystadium

With files from Brendan Kennedy

TY Tom Yun is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @thetomyun

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