Amaravati, Apr 21 (IANS): Five persons from Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district had a narrow escape in the serial bomb blasts that rocked Sri Lanka on Sunday, killing over 200 people.

Amilineni Surendra Babu, who head SR Construction firm, sustained minor injuries while his friends escaped unhurt when a bomb went off at Shangri La Hotel in Colombo, where they were staying.

The group, which was on a tour to Sri Lanka, was having breakfast at the hotel when a bomb ripped through the premises.

In the stampede that followed, Surendra Babu sustained minor injuries. The group later moved to a safer place. Some pictures of the injured were posted on the social media.

However, their passport and other documents remained with their luggage in their hotel rooms. A police officer in Anantapur district said they did not succeed in contacting the businessmen as the communication network in the island nation was down after the serial blasts.