At St Anthony’s church in Colombo, chief priest Jude Fernando told The Independent he believed a suicide bomber had targeted the back of the church where large numbers of people were standing for the final prayers of the service.

Father Jude was by the side of the main altar when the bomb rang out at 8.45am. There were 1,000 to 1,500 people in the church at the time.

“There were so many people inside, we didn’t know what was going on. There were bodies everywhere, people screaming and shouting.

“I can’t understand why the church has been targeted in this way. This is actually a place where everybody comes, regardless of religion, language, caste or creed. This is the most respected place in Sri Lanka, I would say.

"The people who have been injured and killed, they were from all parts of Sri Lanka. This is an attack on the heart of the country. We ask that people remain calm, and for the rest of the world to pray for us.”