At least four Americans are among the dead after bombs ripped through Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing scores of people at Christian churches and luxury hotels.
The spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Sri Lanka confirmed to the Washington Examiner Monday that among the hundreds dead are at least four U.S. citizens. She said that due to privacy concerns she could not delve into further detail.
The first American killed in the terror attacks was identified Monday as Pearson employee Dieter Kowalski who was on a business trip to the island nation.
Kowalski, who worked as a senior leader at the education publishing company, was killed shortly after arriving at his hotel in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had previously said Sunday that there were “several” American victims of the bombings. The bombs killed nearly 300 people and injured about 500 during six coordinated bombings targeting Christian churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday. Sri Lankan authorities said Monday that an offshoot of the Islamic State group was to blame for the attacks.
Pearson CEO John Fallon confirmed the death in a letter to employees Monday, writing that Kowalski had just arrived at his hotel before the explosion occurred.
“We mourn Dieter deeply today. We pray for his soul, and for his family and friends,” Fallon wrote. “ … We’re angry that a good man, who took simple pleasure in fixing things, has been killed, along with many others, by evil men and women who know only how to destroy.”
On Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence called the bombings an “attack on Christianity and religious freedom everywhere.”
