Lanka blast: K’taka CM confirms 5 dead, 2 missing

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has confirmed the names of five persons from the state who died in the serial blasts in Sri Lanka, of which four have been identified. There are two others from the state who are missing, he said.

“I am deeply pained at the loss of our people in the Colombo attacks. Out of the seven missing after the terror attack, four have been declared dead. Their names are: Lakshmana Gowda Ramesh, K M Lakshminarayan, M Rangappa and KG Hanumantharayappa,” Kumaraswamy said in a tweet.

The three others who are missing are H Shivukumar, A Maregowda and H Puttaraju. “The Chief Secretary’s office is in constant touch with the Resident Commissioner at Karnataka Bhavan, New Delhi, and the families of the victims and the missing persons for further information on them,” Kumaraswamy said.

Karnataka’s chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar had spoken with India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. “One group from Karnataka is returning from Kandy. They will help to identify the fifth body. The Indian High Commission will provide information on the other two missing persons as soon as it is received,” Kumaraswamy said.

All the victims were workers of the Janata Dal (Secular), the party Kumaraswamy belongs to. They were on a tour to Sri Lanka after the first phase of polling concluded in Karnataka on April 18. “I am deeply pained at the loss of their lives in the heinous attack. They were also committed workers of our party and their death has brought immense sorrow to us,” Kumaraswamy said.

Soon after the Ministry of External Affairs announced the names of Rangappa and Hanumantharayappa, Kumaraswamy said he knew them personally.