Members of the city’s Sri Lankan community say they are shocked and saddened by the news of hundreds of people killed and injured in a suspected terror attack in their home country on Easter Sunday.

According to authorities in Sri Lanka, at least 207 people were killed and hundreds more injured when multiple bombs exploded inside churches and a number of hotels.

Officials say it’s the deadliest attack the region has seen since the end of a civil war in 2009.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement in response to the incident, offering his hearfelt condolences to those affected..

Dan Peiris, president of Calgary’s Sri Lankan Community Association, says he first learned news of the attack late on Saturday night.

“It was such a quiet period we’ve had for the past few years and suddenly on Easter Sunday we heard that it happened. It was a shock.”

He says the country was enjoying a long period of peace and it was becoming a big tourist destination for many people around the world.

“Lots of tourists were coming in; we became one of the best destinations in the last few years. So we thought everything was going really well.”

Hemasiri Abey, the association’s vice-president, says Sri Lankan is a very proud, multi-cultural and multi-religious country with a rich history.

“I’m very sad to hear about that. Why do people die for religion? We cannot believe it actually.”

Abey says the association is working to get in contact with any families who have loved ones who were killed in the blasts.

“We are trying to help affected families, trying to raise some funds and do something from our side. We came from our mother country for our benefits and we cannot forget our relatives and friends in Sri Lanka.”

Two young men, Dilina and Sachin Fernando, were both born in Sri Lanka and moved to Canada when they were very young. They say they know one of the churches, where one of the bombs went off, very well.

Two of their cousins, as well as one of their father’s cousins, were killed in that explosion.

“We learned that my dad’s youngest sister’s son and his wife was caught [in the attack]. They thought they were on their way to the hospital but afterwards my auntie had to go and identify the bodies from the wreckage. It was devastating for all of us,” Sachin said.

“It was just tough. We haven’t been there in so long but our parents went and visited them recently and it’s just scary to think that that could have easily been us,” said Dilina.

They say they fear hearing news about more friends and family who’ve been hurt or killed.

“It’s a huge community, you’re not strangers with your neighbours or anything like that,” Dilina said. “It’s basically a huge family and these are the only three people that we know of as of right now.”

For more information, including how to help those affected, visit the Calgary Sri Lankan Community Association’s website.

About 1,000 Sri Lankan families live in the City of Calgary.

(With files from Ina Sidhu)