Seven killed, 23 injured in car racing mishap in Sri Lanka: Police
Colombo, Apr 21: At least seven people, including a child, were killed and 23 others were critically injured in a mishap caused during a motor car racing event in Sri Lanka's Uva province on Sunday, police said.
The accident happened when a competing car in the racing event held at the central hill resort of Diyathalawa veered off the track and collided with the spectators, killing seven and injuring three others.
"In the accident, 23 people were critically injured and seven others were killed," said police.
Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said that the deceased included an 8-year-old boy and four-track assistants among others.
"A total of 23 more have been hospitalised," the police said.
The annual event marking the traditional New Year festivities came to be halted in 2019 with the Easter Sunday attack where 270 people were killed in suicide bomb attacks.
Sunday’s resumption coincided with the fifth anniversary of the attack only to be halted by the tragic incident of seven deaths.
At least seven people were killed and over 20 others sustained injuries when a car went off track and crashed into a group of spectators at the Fox Hill Super Cross race in Diyatalawa today.#Srilanka #Foxhill #Diyatalawaaccidemt pic.twitter.com/AFeoYGwCQY
— Easwaran Christian Rutnam (@easwaranrutnam) April 21, 2024
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Coast Guard seizes vessel carrying 6,000 kg methamphetamine
Port Blair (PTI): In a major anti-narcotics operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) seized a vessel with six Myanmarese crew carrying 6,000 kg of contraband Methamphetamine near Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an official said on Monday.
The drugs were found packed in around 3,000 packets of 2 kg each, which are worth several crores of rupees in the international market.
On November 23, the pilot of a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft while on routine patrolling noticed a suspicious movement of a fishing trawler near Barren Island which is nearly 150 km from Port Blair, the Defence official said.
"The trawler was warned and asked to lower its speed and in the meantime, the pilot alerted the Andaman and Nicobar Command. Immediately, our nearby fast patrolling vessels rushed towards Barren Island and towed the fishing trawler to Port Blair on November 24 for further investigation," the official said.
"We have arrested six Myanmarese nationals from the fishing trawler and it is believed that the Methamphetamine was meant for India and its neighbouring countries. We have informed the Andaman and Nicobar Police for joint interrogation," the defence official said.
This is not the first time that such banned contraband was seized on Indian waters in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 2019 and 2022, similar drugs were seized from foreign vessels while they tried to enter Indian waters.
Methamphetamine is mainly used as a recreational or performance-enhancing drug.
