The police said that while two other churches were targeted outside Colombo, the blasts hit several high-end hotels and a church in the capital.

One of the explosions was a St Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade of the capital, Colombo. Another church in Katuwapitiya, Katana was also hit by the explosions.

Initial reports showed more than 80 people injured as a result of the explosion, “Eighty people have already been admitted, and more are still coming in,” an official at the Colombo National Hospital told AFP on the condition to remain anonymous.

The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear.

On the Facebook page of the St Sebastian’s Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo, a post read, “A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there.”

Although the religion is seen as unifying, as it brings together people from both the Tamil and Sinhalese ethnic group, only around six per cent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lankan population is Catholic.

Photos have gone around on Twitter showing a disoriented Easter Sunday congregation at St Anthony’s church the mess made from the rubble of tiles of the roof scattered over the floor.

At least 150 people have been rushed to medical facilities according to a few hospital sources, although there has been no confirmed number of deaths.