A catastrophic incident at a motorsports event in Sri Lanka resulted in seven deaths and left 21 people injured when a race car plowed into the crowd during the Fox Hill Supercross race in Diyatalawa.
The event took place on Sunday in the army base town, and among the victims were four race officials, several spectators, and an eight-year-old girl.
The accident happened on the army-owned track, with few details released about the driver, his condition, or whether he would face charges.
Authorities have confirmed that a full police investigation is underway.
The police spokesman, Nihal Talduwa, explained that the crash occurred because “the car jumped out of the running lane,” according to BBC Sinhala.
Witnesses reported that the crash occurred shortly after another car overturned on the track.
Despite efforts to slow down the remaining cars by waving yellow lights, one red car veered off course, crashing into spectators on the side of the unguarded track.
Footage shared on social media shows the chaotic aftermath with people rushing to the scene and screams from the crowd.
Five people died on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Many other injured spectators remain in critical condition.
In response, many Sri Lankans on social media have criticized the event’s organizers, questioning the lack of safety barriers in areas where spectators gathered.
The Fox Hill Supercross race has been run by the Sri Lankan Automobile Sports Association since 1993, but this was the first event in five years due to pandemic-related restrictions and the country’s economic issues.
This year, the organizers opened the event to spectators free of charge, and about 100,000 people were estimated to be in attendance.
Given the large crowd and tragic outcome, the lack of safety precautions has been widely criticized, with authorities now focused on a thorough investigation to determine what led to this disaster and who should be held accountable.
