COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A racing car left the track Sunday during a competition in Sri Lanka and plowed into a crowd of spectators and race officials, killing seven people and injuring 20 others, officials said. officials said.
Thousands of spectators witnessed the accident during a race in the town of Diyatalawa, located in the central tea-growing hills, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of the capital Colombo.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said one of the cars left the track and crashed into spectators and event officials. Seven people, including four officials, were killed and 20 others were being treated in a hospital, Thalduwa said. According to him, three of the injured are in critical condition.
Thalduwa said police had opened an investigation into the accident, which was the 17th out of 24 planned events. The race was suspended after the accident.
About 45,000 spectators gathered at the racing circuit of a Sri Lankan military academy. The event was organized by the Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Automobile Sports.
News Source : apnews.com
Gn world
