Denmark's wealthiest man, Anders Holch Povlsen, and his wife have lost three of their four children in the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka, a spokesperson for Povlsen confirmed today.
While the representative declined to disclose any further details, Danish media have reported that the family had been vacationing in Sri Lanka.
Povlsen is the owner of fashion firm, Bestseller, which includes brands such as Vero Moda and Jack & Jones. He is also the majority stakeholder in online retailer Asos, and holds a sizeable stake in Zalando.
Per Forbes, the 46-year-old owns more than 1 per cent of all the land in Scotland.
"Unfortunately, we can confirm the reports," a Bestseller spokesman wrote in an email. "We ask you to respect the privacy of the family and we therefore have no further comments."
A series of explosions at churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka has left a reported 290 people killed, and around 500 injured, according to Reuters. At least 35 foreigners are believed to be among the dead.
The attack, which took place on Easter Sunday, is the deadliest violence the country has seen since the end of its civil war in 2009.
A senior investigator revealed on Monday that seven suicide bombers had taken part in the attacks. Police say they have arrested 24 individuals, but no one has is yet believed to have claimed responsibility.
Late yesterday evening, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, announced that security services had been "aware of information" regarding possible bombings, but that the information had not been acted on.
According to cabinet spokeman Rajitha Senaratne, a national Islamist group known as National Thowheed Jamath is believed to be responsible for the terror.
