Man dies in burial record attempt

A man in Sri Lanka has died after trying to set a world record for the longest time spent buried alive.

A man in Sri Lanka 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.

It is unclear whether there is an official world record for the longest time buried alive.

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According to the victim's family, he was buried alive two previous times - for two-and-a-half hours and six hours respectively.

The government has warned people against attempting similar "high risk events".

AP