Controlled explosion done on suspicious motorbike in Sri Lanka's Colombo

Moments later, news agency ANI quoted Sri Lanka's Defence Minister, Ruwan Wijewardene saying that the Special Task Force (STF) detected a suspicious motorbike and had approached it.

A controlled explosion took place on Wednesday morning in Sri Lankan capital Colombo. The controlled blast took place in a motorbike parked near Savoy Cinema on 12 Galle Road in the national capital.

Moments later, news agency ANI quoted Sri Lankan minister, Ruwan Wijewardene saying that the Special Task Force (STF) detected a suspicious motorbike and had approached it.

Sri Lanka's Def Min, Ruwan Wijewardene on explosion near Savoy Cinema in Colombo today: Special Task Force detected a suspicious motorbike&they had gone up to it. They had tried to open the seat but it had got stuck. They decided to have a controlled blast. So, it's not a bomb. pic.twitter.com/HLafHJVJni

— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2019

They had tried to open the seat but it had got stuck and so they decided to have a controlled blast, added Wijewardene. He clarified that it was not a bomb.

"Special Task Force detected a suspicious motorbike&they had gone up to it. They had tried to open the seat but it had got stuck. They decided to have a controlled blast. So, it's not a bomb," news agency ANI quoted Wijewardene.

The death toll from the eight explosions that shook the south Asian nation on Sunday has increased to 359, of which 39 are foreign nationals. A total of 17 bodies have been identified to be that of foreigners and have been handed over to their families, ANI quoted Wijewardene. An investigation is still being conducted.