A Buddhist monk injured in a cable automobile crash in Sri Lanka died on Sunday, elevating the loss of life toll to eight within the worst accident of its type, police stated.
Seven monks, together with three foreigners, had been killed immediately when their cabin plunged down the mountainside close to a forest monastery within the northwestern Kurunegala district on Wednesday evening.
Six others had been taken to hospital for accidents, 4 in important situation.
“One of many six monks in hospital succumbed to his accidents late final evening,” a police official instructed AFP.
He stated the funerals of 5 monks — 4 Sri Lankans and a Romanian — had been held on Saturday at a cemetery close to their monastery.
-/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
A Russian monk is to be buried together with the Sri Lankan monk who died in hospital, a spokesperson for the monastery stated.
He added that the stays of the third international monk, an Indian nationwide, had been repatriated to his family members in India.
The 13 monks had crowded into the small makeshift cabin as they headed to meditation items atop a mountain throughout the huge Na Uyana monastery, officers stated. The monastery covers over 5,000 acres of forest on the mountain vary, and is dwelling to about 150 Buddhist monks, in accordance with its web site.
Preliminary investigations recommended that the cable had snapped, sending the cabin careering downhill at excessive pace earlier than it jumped the observe and crashed right into a tree.
-/AFP by way of Getty Pictures 
Sri Lanka International MinisterVijitha Herath took to social media to precise his condolences.
“Shocked by the lack of venerable monks, together with worldwide members of the Sangha, within the tragic accident at Na Uyana Aranya Senasanaya,” Herath wrote on X. “Sri Lanka mourns with the Buddhist group worldwide. My condolences to all affected, and prayers for restoration of the injured.”
The monastery is positioned about 80 miles north-east of the capital, Colombo.
