COLOMBO, Sri Lanka– A racing car left the track during a competition in Sri Lanka on Sunday and plowed into a crowd of spectators and race officials, killing seven people and injuring 20 others, authorities said.
Thousands of spectators witnessed the accident during a race in the town of Diyatalawa, in the central tea-producing hills, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of the capital, Colombo.
Police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said one of the cars left the track and crashed into spectators and event officials. Seven people, including four officials, died and 20 others were treated at a hospital, Thalduwa said. He said three of the injured were in critical condition.
Thalduwa said police have launched an investigation into the accident, which was the 17th of 24 scheduled events. The race was suspended after the accident.
Some 45,000 spectators had gathered at the racing circuit of a Sri Lankan military academy. The event was organized by the Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Automobile Sports.