A mother and her 11-year-old son are reported as being among the five Britons killed by religious extremists in a wave of Easter Sunday bombings across Sri Lanka that claimed 207 lives and left 450 wounded.

In the worst violence on the former British colony since the end of its civil war a decade ago, six co-ordinated blasts targeted hotels and Christian churches holding morning services.

Two further explosions, including one that killed three security personnel, were reported as police tried to round up those who masterminded the attacks.

Anita Nicholson, 42, and Alex, 11, are believed to have been killed after a bomb detonated at the hotel where they were holidaying.

Father Ben Nicholson survived the blast while, according to reports last night, the whereabouts of the couple’s daughter is still unknown.

The authorities said a single group using suicide bombers was to blame for the carnage. 

Read more: In Pictures: 207 reported killed and 450 injured in Sri Lanka

Thirteen people have been arrested, but the culprits have not yet been identified and no-one has yet claimed responsibility.

The Sri Lankan government imposed an indefinite curfew and a social media blackout to prevent online conspiracies whipping up more religious violence.

Manisha Gunasekera, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK, said the bombings were unprecedented in their “magnitude and precision”.

The first six explosions happened almost simultaneously at about 8.45am local time.

The Herald:

Three were in luxury beachfront hotels in the capital Colombo that are popular with international tourists – the Kingsbury, the Shangri-La and the Cinnamon Grand.

Three more bombs were detonated in packed churches – St Anthony’s Shrine in the Kochchikade district of Colombo, St Sebastian’s Church at Negombo to the north of the capital, and the Zion Batticaloa Church on the east of the island.

The AFP news agency reported the suicide bomber at the Cinnamon Grand waited patiently in the queue for the Easter Sunday breakfast buffet before detonating explosives strapped to his back. 

It said he had registered there the night before as Mohamed Azzam Mohamed.

Kieran Arasaratnam, a professor at Imperial College London Business School, was staying at the Shangri-La, where the second-floor restaurant was destroyed.

He told the BBC he heard a sound like “thunder” and then ran for his life. He added: “Everyone just started to panic, it was total chaos. There was someone carrying a girl to the ambulance. The walls and the floor were covered in blood. It’s awful seeing kids carried off covered in blood. 

“I left Sri Lanka 30 years ago as a refugee and never thought I had to see this again.”

Read more: Five British citizens among those killed in Sri Lanka explosions

Dr Julian Emmanuel, from Surrey, who had been staying with his family at the Cinnamon Grand, said: “We were in our room and heard a large explosion. It woke us up. One member of staff told me it was a suicide bomber. 

“I spent my first 18 years in Sri Lanka, so I’ve seen a lot of ethnic strife. I thought Sri Lanka had left all this violence behind us.”

Pictures from St Sebastian’s Church, where more than 50 people were killed, showed pews covered in blood and most of the roof blown off by the blast.

The later explosions were both in Colombo, the first near the zoo in Dehiwala in the early afternoon and the second shortly afterwards in the residential Dematagoda district, where a suicide bomber apparently blew themself up and killed three people.

Security was stepped up at the country’s main Bandaranaike International Airport.

Huge queues formed outside the National Blood Centre as people tried to help.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe condemned “the cowardly attacks on our people” and urged the country’s citizens to stay “united and strong”.

Responding to claims the authorities were warned about an impending attack, he told the media: “We must look into why adequate precautions were not taken. 

“Neither I nor the ministers were kept informed. 

“For now, the priority is to apprehend the attackers.”

The Herald:

Theravada Buddhism is the country’s main religion, followed by 70 per cent of the 22 million population, with Hindus, Muslims and Roman Catholics around 13, 10 and 6% respectively.

The vast majority of those killed and injured were Sri Lankan, but there were also understood to be around 30 foreign nationals among the dead.

The US State Department said “several” Americans had been killed, alongside three Danish citizens, three Indian nationals, two Turkish nationals, one Dutch citizen and one Portuguese national. Two of the British victims also held joint citizenship.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm that British nationals were among those killed in the horrific attacks in Sri Lanka.

“Our staff are supporting the relatives of the victims and are continuing to work with the relevant authorities to obtain further information. We extend our deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones and all those affected by this senseless tragedy.”

James Dauris, the UK High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, called the attacks “senseless” and “deplorable violence” after visiting injured Britons in hospital.

Chandan de Silva, session clerk at St Andrews Scots Kirk in Colombo, where worshippers were close to the Cinnamon Grand blast, described the mood in the congregation as distraught but steadfast.

“We had about a 100 people in church although some left during the service,” he said.

“Bill (Locum minister Revd Bill Davnie from PCUSA) made a very good call by saying that people were free to stay or leave after the service.

“And for those who decided to stay for the Easter brunch we would stand in solidarity with all those who had lost their lives and were injured. To my astonishment many people stayed for the brunch.”

Religious and political leaders from around the world have condemned the bloodshed.

In his traditional Urbi et Orbi speech at the Vatican, Pope Francis said it was “such cruel violence” to target

Christians celebrating Easter. US President Donald Trump tweeted “heartfelt condolences” for the “horrible terrorist attacks”.

Theresa May said: “The acts of violence against churches and hotels in Sri Lanka are truly appalling, and my deepest sympathies go out to all of those affected at this tragic time.”

“We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to practise their faith in fear.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “I’m appalled by the horrific attacks in Sri Lanka, on Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian calendar.“I stand with the victims, their families, the people of Sri Lanka and

Christians around the world. We must defeat this hatred with unity, love and respect.”

Nicola Sturgeon described the attack as “horrifying”, adding: “My thoughts with the bereaved and injured, and all Sri Lankans at such a dark time.”

The Scottish Parliament lowered its flags as a mark of respect for those affected.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the attacks were “horrifying”, and “to target those gathered for worship on Easter Sunday is particularly wicked”.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: “Those affected by the appalling and despicable attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka will be in the prayers of millions marking Easter around the world.

“On this holy day, let us stand with the people of Sri Lanka in prayer, condolence and solidarity as we reject all violence, all hatred and all division.”

Rt Rev Susan Brown, the moderator of the Church of Scotland, said: “That these attacks have been perpetrated on Easter Sunday, the highlight of the Christian year, is devastating to all the churches in Sri Lanka and to Christians around the world.”

In his Easter Day sermon, the Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow, condemned the bombings alongside the recent terrorist murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Northern Ireland.

He said: “The answer to the world’s troubles does not lie in the fire of the bombers in Sri Lanka or the bullets of the terrorists in Northern Ireland. Light, life and love. These are the true way of the world. Death and destruction won’t win. Violence will never conquer. Death will never have the last word.”

The violence was the deadliest in Sri Lanka since the end of the 26-year civil war waged by the Tamil Tigers in pursuit of an independent Tamil nation in 2009.

The conflict is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people.

People in the UK worried about friends or family should call the Foreign Office on 020 7008 1500.