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Updated: Apr 22, 2019 13:29 IST

Four Janata Dal (Secular) leaders from Karnataka were killed in Colombo and three others are yet to contact their families after Sunday’s serial blasts in the Sri Lankan capital that killed 290 people, including 5 Indians, and injured more than 500.

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Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy tweeted: “External affairs Min. @SushmaSwaraj has confirmed the death of two Kannadigas,KG Hanumantharayappa and M Rangappa, in the bomb blasts in #Colombo. I am deeply shocked at the loss of our JDS party workers, whom I know personally. We stand with their families in this hour of grief.

External affairs Min. @SushmaSwaraj has confirmed the death of two Kannadigas,KG Hanumantharayappa and M Rangappa, in the bomb blasts in #Colombo.

I am deeply shocked at the loss of our JDS party workers, whom I know personally. We stand with their families in this hour of grief — H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) April 22, 2019

TV channels reported that most the leaders were from Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka. They had left for a vacation after campaigning in the constituency.

Earlier, confirming the presence of the JD-S team in Lanka, Kumaraswamy had tweeted: “Iam shocked to hear that a 7-member team of JDS workers from Karnataka, who were touring Colombo,has gone missing after the bomb blasts in #colombo. Two of them are feared killed in the terror strike. I’am in constant touch with the Indian High Commission on the reports of those missing.”

In one of the worst terror attacks in the island nation, eight blasts rocked hotels and churches thronged by people on Easter leaving a trail of tragedy. The Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 24 people from the minority Muslim community in connection with the multiple blasts that rocked the island nation on Sunday.