Sri Lanka Court Convicts 15 Over 2019 Easter Bombings; Vietjet Flight Diverts to Chennai
A landmark court verdict and an aviation emergency marked September 22 for Colombo — Sri Lanka's High Court handed down convictions in the Easter Sunday bombings trial after five years of proceedings, while a Vietjet aircraft bound for the capital was forced to divert to Chennai airport following engine failure.
Sri Lanka High Court Convicts 15 in Easter Sunday Bombings Case
Sri Lanka's High Court delivered a landmark verdict on September 22, 2026, in the long-running criminal trial over the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, convicting 15 of the 24 men who stood accused of involvement in the attacks. The bombings of April 21, 2019, struck churches and luxury hotels in and around Colombo during Easter morning, killing 279 people — among them 45 foreign nationals — and wounding more than 500 others. The human toll made the attacks one of the deadliest single-day mass casualty events in Sri Lanka's post-independence history.
Following a five-year trial, a three-judge bench reached its conclusion on Tuesday. The bench found 14 defendants guilty on all charges leveled against them. Those charges included murder, conspiracy to commit the act classified as terrorism under Sri Lankan law, and the possession of firearms and explosives in contravention of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. A fifteenth defendant was found guilty on some but not all of the charges he faced. Nine of the 24 accused were acquitted entirely.
Security personnel were deployed outside the Colombo High Court as the accused were escorted to the premises for the reading of the verdict, with AFP photographers documenting the proceedings. The case was reported by both NPR and Al Jazeera. The convictions bring a measure of judicial resolution to one of the most devastating episodes of mass violence in the country's post-war history, with the bombings having shaken the nation and drawn international attention in 2019. [4]
Vietjet Flight Bound for Colombo Makes Emergency Landing in Chennai After Engine Failure
A Vietjet aircraft operating a flight to Colombo was forced to make an emergency landing at Chennai's international airport after the crew reported engine failure, according to a report by India Today dated September 22, 2026. The flight had been en route to Sri Lanka's capital when the technical malfunction was detected, prompting the crew to divert to the nearest major airport in the region.
Chennai, situated in the southeastern coastal state of Tamil Nadu in India, operates one of the country's busiest international airports and handles regular traffic between South Asia and Southeast Asia. The city's geographic location makes it a natural diversion point for aircraft operating routes between Southeast Asian cities and Colombo. Engine failures are classified among the most serious in-flight technical emergencies in commercial aviation, and standard procedures require crews to immediately notify air traffic control, declare an emergency if warranted, and identify the closest suitable airport for a safe landing. Ground emergency response teams at the diversion airport are typically placed on standby in advance of the aircraft's arrival.
Vietjet is a Vietnamese budget carrier that has expanded its route network across Asia in recent years, operating services connecting Southeast Asian cities with destinations in South Asia and beyond. India Today reported on the incident in its international news coverage, identifying engine failure as the stated cause of the diversion to Chennai. The initial report did not include details on the number of passengers on board, the specific flight number, or whether any injuries were sustained. Aviation safety investigators would be expected to examine the aircraft and review flight data following the safe diversion to determine the technical origin of the engine failure. [7]
Sources: [4] Al Jazeera · [7] India Today