Three of the four children of Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, owner of the ready-to-wear group Bestseller and largest shareholder of the online store ASOS, were killed in the wave of attacks in Sri Lanka the previous day. 290 dead, announced Monday a spokesman for the group. According to the Danish media, Anders Holch Povlsen was on vacation in Sri Lanka with his wife Anne and their four children at the time of the attacks.
"We ask to respect the privacy of the family and we have no other comments," told AFP Jesper Stubkier, head of communication at Bestseller. No indication was given on the age of the victims.
Anders Holch Povlsen, 46, inherited the ready-to-wear group Bestseller, founded in 1975 by his parents, Merete and Troels Holch Povlsen. The group, which boasts nearly 3,000 points of sale in 70 countries, has brands like Vero Moda, Only and Jack & Jones. Anders Holch Povlsen is also the majority shareholder of the UK online fashion brand ASOS and owns shares in Zalando, a German online retailer.
Eight explosions, more than 290 dead
On Sunday, eight explosions in total hit Sri Lanka. In just a few hours, bombs caused death and desolation in four hotels and three churches, during Easter Mass, in several places on the South Asian island, which had not seen such an outburst of violence since end of the civil war ten years ago. According to a new official report announced Monday, 290 people were killed and 500 others injured. Dozens of foreigners were killed in this popular tourist country for its idyllic beaches and lush greenery.
On Monday, police announced that they had arrested 24 people. Authorities have attributed the wave of suicide attacks to the local Islamist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ), which has not yet claimed responsibility for them.