Nearly 290 people have been confirmed dead so far in the string of attacks.

Sri Lanka declared a nationwide curfew after a string of eight explosions, mostly in Colombo, left at least 290 people dead and over 500 injured on Easter Sunday, authorities said.

Xinhua news agency reported that the death toll in the multiple blasts had risen to 290 even as two fresh explosions occurred in two Colombo neighbourhoods in the afternoon.

Easter Day bomb blasts at three Sri Lankan churches and three luxury hotels claimed over 290 lives, hospital and police officials said. Two other explosions followed the unprecedented string of attacks on the Sri Lankan capital.

32 foreigners were among the dead, the officials said.

A hospital source said Americans, British and Dutch citizens were among those killed in the six blasts, which also injured hundreds of people.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks.

Sri Lanka imposes 'temporary' social media ban after blasts

The Sri Lankan government declared a curfew with immediate effect, junior defence minister Ruwan Wijewardene said on Sunday, following eight explosions that killed nearly 290 people, and mostly targeted churches and hotels.

"A curfew will be imposed until things settle down," he told reporters in Colombo.

Government officials also said major social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, have been blocked inside the cuntry to prevent misinformation and rumours.

Eighth blast hits Sri Lanka in capital: police 

A new blast hit the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo on Sunday, police said, the eighth explosion in the country in a single day.

Police said the blast hit the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital, but there were no further details on what was targeted.

Vladimir Putin denounces Sri Lanka attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced a series of attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka as "cruel and cynical."

In a telegram of condolences sent to his Sri Lankan counterpart, the Russian leader said Moscow remains a "reliable partner of Sri Lanka in the fight against international terrorism."

He added that the Russians "share the grief of the relatives of those killed and wish a quick recovery to all those who were wounded" after the Easter Sunday blasts that killed at least 290 people.

Putin voiced confidence that "the perpetrators and the masterminds of such a cruel and cynical crime committed amid the Easter festivities will take the punishment they deserve."

Turkey's president condemns Sri Lanka blasts

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, calling them "an assault on all of humanity."

In comments posted on Twitter, Erdogan offered his condolences to families of the victims and to the people of Sri Lanka.

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