The funeral rites of the monks who passed away in the tragic accident at the Kurunegala–Melsiripura–Pansiyagama Na Uyana Forest Monastery will be held on September 27th at 1.30 p.m., the cremation committee announced. A preparatory discussion regarding the arrangements was held yesterday (25) at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra stated that necessary measures concerning the remains of foreign monks who perished in the incident are being coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs Gamini Senarathna also confirmed that, should requests be made to repatriate the bodies to their home countries, the relevant authorities have already been notified.
Six other monks sustained injuries and were admitted to the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, with the condition of two reported as critical. Among the deceased are three foreign monks.
The Na Uyana Forest Monastery, spanning over 5,000 acres, is regarded as one of the oldest forest monasteries in Sri Lanka. Around 350 local and foreign monks and nuns reside there for meditation practice.
The monastery is divided into five main sections, with meditation huts located along the mountain ridges. While there is a flight of steps leading to the upper areas, a cable car was frequently used by the monks for convenience.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accident was caused by overloading the cable car beyond its maximum capacity of 500 kilograms.
Kurunegala Magistrate Kanchani Senewiratne carried out an on-site inspection of the location and ordered the police to conduct a formal inquiry and submit findings to court.
The magistrate further instructed that mechanical engineers assist in the investigation and emphasized that it must be determined whether any criminal negligence was involved.
