Nepali rider drowns during bike race

COLOMBO: A mountain biker drowned Wednesday after falling into a river during an international race in Sri Lanka, police said.

The Nepali rider was swept to his death after falling into the Mahaweli river at Kuda Oya, 230km southeast of the capital Colombo.

“We have recovered the body from a nearby reservoir,” a police official in the area said by telephone. The rider is not being named until his family has been informed.

National carrier Sri Lankan Airlines, which hosted the fiveday race known as ‘ Rumble in the Jungle’, announced it would be cancelling the event after Wednesday’s tragedy. — AFP