- By Frances Mao and Hafsa Khalil
- BBC News
Seven people were killed and 21 injured after a racing car crashed into spectators at a motoring event in Sri Lanka.
The accident happened Sunday during the Fox Hill Supercross race at Diyatalawa, a military base.
The dead included four race officials as well as spectators, including an eight-year-old girl, the army said.
Few details have been released about the driver, his condition and whether he will face charges.
But authorities said a thorough police investigation was underway into the accident at the military-owned runway. Diyatalawa, in south-central Sri Lanka, is a former garrison town and the army has an academy there.
“This accident happened when the car jumped out of the traffic lane,” police spokesperson Nihal Talduwa said, according to BBC Sinhala.
According to witnesses, the accident occurred shortly after another car overturned on the track.
Authorities tried to slow the cars by waving yellow lights, but as the cars sped past, a red car veered off course and crashed into spectators on the side of the unguarded track.
Images widely shared on social media show the aftermath of the tragedy: screams in the crowd and people rushing to the scene.
Five people were killed at the scene while two later died in hospital. Others remain in critical condition, officials said.
On social media, Sri Lankans questioned why there were not greater protections, criticizing the lack of safety barriers on some sections of the track.
The event organized by the Sri Lanka Motor Sports Association has been held since 1993, but this is the first race in five years due to pandemic restrictions and problems resulting from the country’s economic crisis.
Before the official time, organizers had opened the event free to spectators and claimed that around 100,000 people attended.