NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

'We heard a huge explosion': New Zealanders in middle of blasts in Colombo, Sri Lanka

By Michael Neilson & Luke Kirkness
NZ Herald·
21 Apr, 2019 06:19 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo. Photo / AP

Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo. Photo / AP

Two Kiwi sisters heard "huge explosions" near their hotel in Colombo - part of co-ordinated bomb blasts across Sri Lanka that have killed more than 200 people and left hundreds injured.

Colleen Dunning from Queenstown and Erin Clark from Auckland had been staying at Galle Face Hotel, along the waterfront from Shangri-La and Grand Cinnamon hotels where explosions occurred on Easter Sunday.

"We were walking along the waterfront this morning, where families were gathering for a day on the green. We heard a huge explosion followed by sirens and then a few minutes later there was another explosion which was very close to our hotel," Dunning said.

They turned back to their hotel, unaware of the scale of the devastation that had happened, and were only informed about 30 minutes later by their tour guide as they made their way out of the city.

They were now down the coast in the city of Galle, and while they were under curfew felt "very safe and have no concerns for our safety".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We feel for the beautiful people of Sri Lanka," Dunning said.

Other attacks occurred in Negombo, north of Colombo, and in Batticaloa, on the country's east coast.

Another Auckland woman, Rachel Stephens, said local military had set up barricades in Colombo, hospitals were overflowing and people were everywhere following the Easter Sunday attacks.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Stephens said she had attended some of the sites the explosions went off "less than 24 hours ago" and next to the hotel she pulled up to stay at.

The 25-year-old said she had only been in Sri Lanka for two days before the attacks took place and is still finding her bearings.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Herald 214 New Zealanders were registered as being in the South Asian country.

However, there were no reports of any New Zealand citizens being caught up in the explosions.

Discover more

Business

Go there, SAFE tells live animal export market reviewers

05 Apr 12:47 AM
New Zealand

A life helping others: How Kiwi nurse Louisa Akavi came to be kidnapped by brutal regime

14 Apr 09:03 PM
World

Easter Sunday attacks: At least 207 dead, 500 injured, suspects arrested

21 Apr 04:57 AM
New Zealand

207 dead in bomb explosions: PM labels attacks 'devastating'

21 Apr 05:37 AM
Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured from one of the Colombo church blasts. Photo / AP
Sri Lankan police officers clear the road as an ambulance drives through carrying injured from one of the Colombo church blasts. Photo / AP

"New Zealanders in Sri Lanka are advised to exercise a high degree of vigilance in public areas and to follow any advice issued by local authorities," an Mfat spokesperson said.

"New Zealanders in Sri Lanka in need of consular assistance should contact the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi on +91 11 468 83170."

Kiwis in the country are being asked to register their details at www.safetravel.govt.nz.

Meanwhile, another New Zealand woman, Jane Burdon, said she was on the streets of Colombo when the first explosion went off.

She did not hear the blast but as soon as their driver heard news of the bombings, it was straight back to the hotel.

"Everyone here in the hotel is shocked as since the war ended they have felt safe," Burdon told the Herald.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We are extremely safe and being well looked after in our very small hotel in the suburbs of Colombo.

"We have been travelling this beautiful country for the last three weeks. We have been totally spoilt by Sri Lankans' hospitality."

Burdon said she was flying back to New Zealand on Wednesday morning and they would stay at the hotel until then.

However, their plans could change and they could head to the airport tomorrow night before the curfew.

"We are concerned about being here until Wednesday morning but we have no choice so have to be patient," she said.

Sri Lanka security officials said six near-simultaneous blasts hit three churches and three hotels frequented by tourists.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The New York Times has reported at least 207 people have died in the attacks.

A Sri Lanka state-run newspaper, the Daily News, reported that more than 500 people have been hospitalised with injuries caused by the blasts.

An official said they suspect the blasts at two churches were carried out by suicide bombers.

"Eighty people have already been admitted, and more are still coming in," an official at the Colombo National Hospital told AFP earlier on condition of anonymity.

The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Scenes from the Great Barrier Reef

New Zealand

'Felt right across the district': Police name victim of fatal railway track crash

01 Jul 03:33 AM
New ZealandUpdated

Fire at Christchurch haulage yard contained

01 Jul 03:30 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Scenes from the Great Barrier Reef

Scenes from the Great Barrier Reef

More than 9000 known species call the Great Barrier Reef home. Video / GBRMPA

'Felt right across the district': Police name victim of fatal railway track crash

'Felt right across the district': Police name victim of fatal railway track crash

01 Jul 03:33 AM
Fire at Christchurch haulage yard contained

Fire at Christchurch haulage yard contained

01 Jul 03:30 AM
Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

Zespri teams up with Dame Lisa Carrington

01 Jul 03:30 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP