Buried alive challenger dug up dead
A man has died after trying to set a world record for the longest time spent buried alive.
Janaka Basnayake, 24, buried himself over the weekend with the help of family and friends in a 10ft deep trench sealed with wood and soil in the Sri Lankan town of Kantale.
Basnayake was buried at around 9.30am on Saturday. Police said that when he was brought to the surface at 4pm he was unconscious and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Doctors were not immediately able to determine how he died.
It is unclear whether there is an official world record for the longest time buried alive.
Mr Basnayake's mother, L.D. Leelawathi, said her son had enjoyed performing unusual acts since his childhood - a liking that grew after watching movies.
She said he had had been buried alive on two previous occasions – for two and a half hours and six hours respectively.
