Sri Lanka Automobile Sports issues statement regarding Fox Hill Super Cross 2024 incident

Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS) in a statement yesterday said it deeply regrets the tragic incident that occurred during the Fox Hill Super Cross 2024 event in Diyathalawa. 

After a successful return of the event, which had not been held since 2019, an unforeseen racing incident which happened within seconds of each other, within the track limits resulted in the loss of 7 valuable lives and left 19 individuals injured, out of which only 7 are receiving further treatment.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those affected by this devastating event. Despite the challenges we now face, we wish to address certain misconceptions that have arisen,” SLAS said in a statement. 

It clarified that SLAS and the Sri Lanka Army had no involvement with the “Fox Hill Journey” event scheduled for the same night, which has been incorrectly associated with our organisations. “We deeply regret any confusion or distress this misunderstanding may have caused.”

In its statement SLAS acknowledged that there were spectators, who due to the Curiosity, positioned themselves in unsafe locations near the track. “While we must stress the importance of adhering to safety guidelines at all times, we do not seek to  assign blame to any individual or group. Our focus now remains on supporting the families affected in this incident and further standby our SLAS Licenced Competitors.”

SLAS extended its sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured  or affected by this tragic incident. Urgent Steps have been taken to support all the families of victims financially at  the moment although life cannot be measured in rupees and cents.

“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to understand the causes of the incident and to implement  additional safety measures to prevent such events from occurring in the future. While the Sri Lanka Army is conducting  an inquiry, A three-member independent committee headed by a Senior President’s Counsel has been appointed by  SLAS to conduct an Inquiry,” the statement said.

 “We thank the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Military Academy, emergency services, medical personnel, the doctors and staff of the Diyathalawa and Badulla General Hospitals, the Diyathalawa Police and all those who responded swiftly  to assist the injured. Your efforts are deeply appreciated,” it added.