Three of billionaire ASOS tycoon’s children are killed in Sri Lanka terror attacks  

Billionaire Asos owner Anders Holch Povlsen, pictured, has said that three of his four children were killed in the Sri Lanka terror attacks on Easter Sunday

Billionaire Asos owner Anders Holch Povlsen has said that three of his four children were killed in the Sri Lanka terror attacks on Easter Sunday. 

Povlsen is the second largest private landowner in the UK and is the biggest shareholder in Asos.   

Just days before the devastating attacks, one of Povlsen’s children, Alma, shared a snap of her three siblings Astrid, Agnes and Alfred, next to a pool. The three children are seen facing away from the camera.

It is not yet known which of Povlsen’s three children have died. 

Povlsen, 46, and Anne Storm Pedersen have been married for six years. He is Denmark’s richest man, with his father passing down ownership of the international clothes retailer chain Bestseller when he was just 28 years old.

Seven suicide bombers killed at least 290 people in coordinated attacks on five-star hotels and churches on Easter Sunday. 

No group has claimed responsibility but Sri Lankan police say a previously unknown Muslim extremist group were the subject of an intelligence warning ten days before. 

Early evidence points towards Islamist group National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ), according to intelligence chiefs, who warn that more attacks are expected. 

Just days before the devastating attacks, one of Povlsen's children, Alma, shared a snap of her three siblings Astrid, Agnes and Alfred, next to a pool. It is not yet known which of Povlsen's three children have died

Just days before the devastating attacks, one of Povlsen’s children, Alma, shared a snap of her three siblings Astrid, Agnes and Alfred, next to a pool. It is not yet known which of Povlsen’s three children have died

Povlsen, 46, and Anne Storm Pedersen, pictured together, have been married for six years. He is Denmark's richest man, with his father passing down ownership of the international clothes retailer chain Bestseller when he was just 28 years old

Povlsen, 46, and Anne Storm Pedersen, pictured together, have been married for six years. He is Denmark’s richest man, with his father passing down ownership of the international clothes retailer chain Bestseller when he was just 28 years old

A crime scene official inspects the site of a bomb blast inside a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which lost half its roof tiles with the force of the blast

A crime scene official inspects the site of a bomb blast inside a church in Negombo, Sri Lanka, which lost half its roof tiles with the force of the blast

A map showing where the eight blasts went off yesterday, six of them in very quick succession on Easter Sunday morning

A map showing where the eight blasts went off yesterday, six of them in very quick succession on Easter Sunday morning  

Povlsen has 11 Scottish estates, and a castle, covering an astonishing 221,000 acres. He is Britain’s biggest private landowner, surpassing the Dukes of Atholl with 144,000 acres and the Prince of Wales, who owns 130,000 acres.

He began building this ever-growing property portfolio 12 years ago, in the autumn of 2006, with the £7.9 million acquisition of Glenfeshie, a 42,000-acre patch of the Cairngorms National Park. 

His father, Troels, began his fashion empire with a single store in 1975. Povlsen now employs 15,000 people and owns brands such as Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, along with almost 30 per cent of ASOS.

Its success has helped him build a fortune estimated at £5.4 billion.

Povlsen and his wife live at Constantinsborg, a neo-classical former royal palace near Aarhus. The couple, who met when Anne began working in sales for Bestseller, send their four children to state schools.

Blasts ripped through landmarks around the capital Colombo, and on Sri Lanka’s east coast, targeting Christians, hotel guests and foreign tourists. More than 500 people were wounded and five British citizens were among the dead. 

A six-foot pipe bomb was later found by air force personal on a routine patrol at the country’s main airport Bandaranaike International, also known as Katunayake Airport or Colombo International. 

‘A PVC pipe which was six feet in length containing explosives in it was discovered,’ Air Force Spokesman Gihan Seneviratne told the Sri Lankan Sunday Times.

He said the bomb device was discovered by Air Force personnel on a routine patrol and was disposed by the Explosives Ordinance Disposal Unit of the Air Force in a controlled area. 

The airport was put ‘on lockdown’ while the security forces examined and detonated the device, according to reports from the scene.   

Yesterday morning, six bombs went off in quick succession before another two blasts two hours later in Sri Lanka’s worst violence since the end of its decades-long civil war in 2009. 

The benches and pews were scattered or reduced to splinters by the blast, one of eight which killed 207 people on Easter Sunday

The benches and pews were scattered or reduced to splinters by the blast, one of eight which killed 207 people on Easter Sunday

Blood stains are seen on the wall and on a Jesus Christ statue at the St. Sebastian's Church after blast in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka,after the bombing

Blood stains are seen on the wall and on a Jesus Christ statue at the St. Sebastian’s Church after blast in Negombo, north of Colombo, Sri Lanka,after the bombing

Timeline: how the Sri Lanka attacks unfolded

10.10am local time (05.40 BST): Reports from witnesses suggest that two churches in Sri Lanka have been hit by explosions as worshippers gather on Easter Sunday. The historic St Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo and St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo are among those reported to have been hit.

10.50am: An unnamed security official suggests there have been six closely-timed attacks at three churches and three hotels and that suicide bombers may have been involved in at least two of the blasts.

12.20pm: It is reported 129 people are dead and more than 500 have been taken to hospital after blasts at six sites, according to a Sri Lanka state-run newspaper.

1.50pm: Sri Lanka’s top military officials are brought together for an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. The meeting is called by prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has tweeted that ‘the government is taking immediate steps to contain the situation’.

3.45pm: Two more explosions take place, the first hitting a guesthouse in Dehiwala, in which at least two people died, and a second in the district of Dematagoda on Colombo’s outskirts.

5.20pm: It is reported that two police officers were killed during a swoop on suspects in Dematagoda.

5.25pm: A 6pm to 6am national curfew is imposed by Sri Lanka’s government. Sri Lankan Airlines tells passengers booked on flights out of the country that they will be able to fly despite the curfew. the government also locked down social media sites and messaging apps to avoid the spread of misinformation or incitements to violence.

18.10pm: The number of victims from the blasts now stands at 207 people killed and 450 wounded, Sri Lankan police say. 

Officials say that seven suspects have been arrested.

8.10pm (3.40pm British Summer Time) Five Britons including two people holding joint US and British citizenship were among those killed in the attacks, the country’s foreign ministry said.

Three of the near-simultaneous blasts targeted worshippers attending Easter services on the holiest day in the Christian calendar.

Families on holiday were massacred by three further explosions at luxury hotels in Colombo as they sat down to enjoy breakfast at around 8.30am.  

At least 35 foreigners are feared to have been killed in the attacks – including five Britons, two of whom were joint US-UK citizens.  Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt condemned the the ‘horrifying attacks’ which he said had killed ‘several British nationals’.

Further fatalities are said to include three Indians, two Turks, one Portuguese citizen and an unknown number of Dutch and Chinese nationals.   

Thirteen suspects have been arrested, as it emerged the country’s police chief had warned of an Islamic extremist plot to target ‘prominent churches’ just 10 days earlier, but no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.   

Sri Lanka’s defence ministry has now ordered curfew with immediate effect ‘until further notice’ while access to social media messaging services has been shut down.

In Colombo, St Anthony’s Shrine, a Roman Catholic church, the Cinnamon Grand; Shangri-La; and Kingsbury hotels were targeted in the first wave of explosions.

At the Shangri-La, security camera footage showed two men detonating devices in the Table One restaurant and a hotel corridor.

Other blasts hit St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, a majority Catholic town north of Colombo, and at Zion Church in the eastern town of Batticaloa.

Later in the afternoon, two died in a strike at a hotel near a zoo in the south of Colombo, before a suspected suicide bomber killed police officers in the suburb of Orugodawatta in the north of the capital, as police moved in on the suspected terrorist safe house. In all 13 suspects were arrested.

Sri Lanka defence secretary Harsha de Silva said: ‘Horrible scenes, I saw many body parts strewn all over.’ 

The country went into lockdown amid worrying reports there had been missed opportunities to stop the carefully planned bombings. 

Prime Minister Theresa May joined leaders across the world in condemning the atrocities while President Donald Trump vowed to ‘stand ready to help’.

‘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.

Sri Lankan police have responded in considerable numbers, blocking off the affected sites and sending in crime scene officials to scour for evidence

Sri Lankan police have responded in considerable numbers, blocking off the affected sites and sending in crime scene officials to scour for evidence

Sri Lankan military stand guard near the explosion site at a church in Batticaloa,with police tape keeping out bysanders

Sri Lankan military stand guard near the explosion site at a church in Batticaloa,with police tape keeping out bysanders

State minister of defence Ruwan Wijewardene said investigators have identified the culprits behind the 'terrorist' attacks (pictured: Shangri La hotel, Colombo)

State minister of defence Ruwan Wijewardene said investigators have identified the culprits behind the ‘terrorist’ attacks (pictured: Shangri La hotel, Colombo)

‘We must stand together to make sure that no one should ever have to practise their faith in fear,’ Mrs May said. 

Pope Francis denounced the ‘cruel violence’ of the Easter Sunday attacks and urged prayer for all those affected. Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe condemned ‘the cowardly attacks on our people’.

Millions of tourists visit Sri Lanka every year but political crisis and religious tension have placed the industry under threat in recent months.

Ten days ago, according to documents seen by the AFP new agency, Sri Lanka’s police chief Pujuth Jayasundara issued an intelligence alert to top officers warning Islamist suicide bombers planned to hit ‘prominent churches’.

‘A foreign intelligence agency has reported that the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama’ath) is planning to carry out suicide attacks targeting prominent churches as well as the Indian high commission in Colombo,’ the alert said.

The NTJ is a small radical Muslim group in Sri Lanka which has no history of mass fatal attacks, but came to prominence last year linked to the vandalism and desecration of Buddhist statues.

Prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe admitted that information about the attacks had been received in advance but denied having direct knowledge himself. 

‘We must look into why adequate precautions were not taken. Neither I nor the ministers were kept informed,’ he said following intense anger in the community.  

Britain’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris said British citizens had been caught in the blast, but said he could not yet specify how many had been affected. 

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the horrifying attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka today, and the tragic news of more than 200 people killed, including several British nationals.

‘To target those gathered for the simple act of worship on Easter Sunday is unspeakably wicked.

Pictured: The aftermath following an explosion at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019

Damage after an explosion hit St Anthony's Church

Pictured: The aftermath following an explosion at St Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 April 2019

Sri Lankan soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony's Shrine after a blast in Colombo on Easter Sunday

Sri Lankan soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony’s Shrine after a blast in Colombo on Easter Sunday 

‘Everyone has a right to practise their faith in peace, safety and security but tragedies like this, and the one in Christchurch, remind us that there are some who hate these rights and freedoms.

‘These despicable acts were carried out at a time when millions of Christians celebrate Easter while living under the shadow of persecution. Many gather in churches at risk of attack; countless more will have suffered threats or discrimination.

‘The UK stands in solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world and with the government and people of Sri Lanka. My prayers are with all the victims and their families.’

The country’s President Maithripala Sirisena said he was shocked by the explosions and appealed for calm, while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called the attacks ‘cowardly’. 

‘I call upon all Sri Lankans during this tragic time to remain united and strong. Please avoid propagating unverified reports and speculation. The government is taking immediate steps to contain this situation,’ the PM said. 

Eight people have been arrested and ‘so far the names that have come up are local’, he said, but officials are probing possible foreign links.  

A social media ban was also put in place ‘in order to prevent incorrect and wrong information being spread’ in what officials said was a temporary measure, alongside an indefinite curfew.  

The magnitude of the violence recalls the bombings perpetrated by the separatist Tamil Tigers that targeted a bank, a shopping centre, a Buddhist temple and hotels popular with tourists a decade ago. 

In 2009, Sri Lankan security forces defeated Tamil Tiger rebels who had fought to create an independent homeland for the country’s ethnic minority Tamils. 

Only around six percent of mainly Buddhist Sri Lanka is Catholic, but the religion is seen as a unifying force because it includes people from both the Tamil and majority Sinhalese ethnic groups. 

More to follow. 

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