Army to provide assistance to families of victims

Fox Hill tragedy:

By Norman Palihawadane

Army Commander Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage  has ordered that assistance be provided to the families of those who were killed and injured at the Fox Hill Supercross 2024.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Rajitha Kumara told The Island yesterday compensation would be paid by a private company that organised the event and the Army would bear the logistics and costs of the funerals of those who were killed.

Seven persons, including a child, were killed, while 23 others were injured, following a tragic accident during the “Fox Hill Supercross 2024” racing event held at Diyatalawa on Sunday (21).

Among the dead were four officials of the racing event who were stationed as flag marshals. The other victims were civilian spectators, as reported by the police.

The deceased were identified as follows:  Shivakumar Dhanushika (8); Muththusamy Udayakumar (55), a resident of Welimada; Chamath Niroshan (19), a resident of Seeduwa; Ashen Heenatigala (20), a resident of Akuressa; Rasika Abeynaike (32),  Aruna Shantha Upaligamage (62), a resident of Matara; and Ganesh Kamalanath, also of Matara.

Rasika Abeynaike, a member of the Sri Lanka Army rugby team and stationed at the Salawa Army Camp, in Kosgama, was attending the racing event as a spectator while on leave. Abeynaike, who completed his education at Embilipitiya Maha Vidyalaya, and joined the Army Engineer Corps, was scheduled to be transferred to the Udawalawa Army Camp on the day following the incident. His final rites are to be performed at Galaha, Kandy, as per family sources.

Two other victims of the tragic accident, Ganesh Kamalanath and Aruna Shantha, both from the Matara area, and close friends, were fathers of three and two children, respectively.

Ashen Heenatigala from Akuressa in Matara, had recently sat for the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination in the Mathematics stream and was awaiting results.

All three were past pupils of Rahula College, Matara, police said

Police Media Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that the accident had occurred when a race car veered off the race track and collided with a group of spectators.

The “Fox Hill Supercross 2024” racing event has now been temporarily suspended, police said.

The two drivers of the racing cars, involved in Sunday’s accident, were arrested while undergoing treatment in hospital.

Diyatalawa Police are conducting further investigations regarding the incident. Meanwhile, the Army has launched a separate internal investigation regarding the incident.

The 28th edition of the ‘Fox Hill Super Cross’, organised by the Military Academy Diyatalawa with the support of Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS), kicked off at Diyatalawa on Sunday (21), after a hiatus of 05 years. The last event was also suspended midway due to the Easter Sunday terror attacks on April 21, 2019.