COLOMBO, Nov 28: England will continue their Test tour of Sri Lanka despite two blasts in Colombo on Wednesday that killed at least 17 people, team officials said. The first blast took place at 8:05am (0235 GMT), a few minutes before the England team left for the hill resort of Kandy where the first Test against Sri Lanka opens at the Asgiriya Stadium on Saturday.

The second blast went off at 6:00pm (1230 GMT) in Colombo’s suburb of Nugegoda where at least 16 people were reported to be killed and several injured.

England, who are due to play the second Test in Colombo from Dec 9, said the series was going ahead. “We have spoken to the (British) High Commission in light of the bomb,” a team spokesman told reporters after hearing of the first blast. “There has been no change in the travel advice we have received from them, at this stage, and it has no effect on the tour arrangements.—AFP