A CARLISLE woman living in Sri Lanka has spoken of her shock and lucky escape after a bomb blast went off in a hotel where she had planned to have breakfast.

The death toll from Sunday's wave of attacks on churches and hotels in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa stands at 360, with about 500 people injured.

Former Trinity School pupil Melanie Wardle Mallikarachchi, 44, was going to have breakfast in the coffee shop at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo on Sunday morning before heading to church next door.

But just as she was about to leave her home, her husband Prasad decided - at the last minute - to go with her.

Melanie, who moved to Sri Lanka in 2006, said: "As we live on the outskirts of Colombo, I’d planned to go in early, have breakfast in the coffee shop in Cinnamon Grand and then go to church.

"Just as I was about to leave home Prasad said he wanted to come too so he needed to get ready. This meant we were later leaving the house so didn’t have time for breakfast we just went straight to St Andrews Scots Kirk Church.

"Our route to church through Colombo was quiet as it usually is on a Sunday morning but there was a heavy police presence which usually happens when a government official is on the move.

"We drove past the back of Cinnamon Grand and the gates were open - in my 13 years here I’ve never seen them open and so we slowed to look. There were a few people milling around but again we thought it was because someone important was going there. It was a few seconds later we heard sirens and saw ambulances rushing past us as we pulled into the church car park at around 9.15am.

"Once in church Prasad got a local news alert about the blast at St Anthony’s Shrine. We told this to our friends who said it couldn’t have been as they had heard something - they thought thunder initially - but it sounded close.

"It was while we were in church the news unfolded about the other blasts. We still continued the service and the minister did give us the option to leave. By the time we were leaving the church was under guard."

The Taprobane restaurant at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel was having one of its busiest days of the year for the Easter holiday weekend.

The suicide bomber waited patiently in a queue for the Easter Sunday breakfast buffet before setting off explosives strapped to his back.

Carrying a plate, the man, who had registered at the hotel the night before was just about to be served when he set off his devastating strike in the packed restaurant.

Melanie, who used to teach at Great Corby School and is now deputy head of academics at a junior school, which is part of an International school, said: "We have had peace for the last 10 years. It is really shocking what has happened here.

"Although I am deeply saddened by what has happened I am also feeling very thankful."

After news of the bomb blasts Melanie and Prasad made their way home.

A curfew was imposed as well as a social media blackout.

Melanie's school has been closed this week and she has stayed at home, not venturing out.

She said: "The streets were quiet on the way home but we took the back roads as we didn’t want to be in public places - one of our routes home is past parliament.

"Only when we got home did we start to realise the magnitude of what had happened. We then rang round people to see all was ok. I also contacted family and friends outside of Sri Lanka to let them know we were safe as many know we frequent Cinnamon and Kingsbury often. We also checked on friends in Negombo as my parents have a house there.

"On local tv they have started to show the funerals of people killed which is heartbreaking. "

Melanie's mum, Doreen Irwin, lives at St Edmunds Park - in the Morton West area of Carlisle - with her husband Gerald.

Melanie said: "My mum and stepdad are in the UK at the moment but visit here frequently. We try to get home at least once a year to visit folk."

Doreen, who first went to Sri Lanka in 1997, said: "The whole situation is just awful. We have a house in Negombo and we are going back there in May.

"Melanie phoned me to tell me she was ok. I later saw what had happened on TV.

"Everyone we know out there is ok. I just don't know how anyone could do something like that."

Police have now detained 40 suspects in connection with the attack, all of whom were Sri Lankan nationals. A state of emergency remains in effect to prevent further attacks.

Meanwhile, in Carlisle today, a vigil will be held at the Market Cross at 12pm to remember those killed in the Sri Lankan attacks.