Seven monks were killed when a makeshift cable car plunged down a mountainside in northwestern Sri Lanka on 24/9. The monks were traveling to a meditation center at the Na Uyana Buddhist monastery when the car derailed and tumbled down the slope.

A cable car carrying monks in Sri Lanka. Photo: X/MDWLiveSriLanka

The victims included four Sri Lankan monks and three others from India, Russia, and Romania.

"Two escaped with minor injuries, while four others are in critical condition," a police official said.

Initial investigations suggest the cable snapped, causing the car to plummet down the slope at high speed before derailing and hitting a tree.

Cable cars, rudimentary vehicles running on rails, are typically used for transporting goods with minimal safety standards. However, such makeshift transport is commonly used to traverse mountainous terrain in Sri Lanka.

Huyen Le