The motionless body of Munk lying below the rock.
The body of a Danish tourist woman who went missing for four days while climbing the Alagalla rock in Pottapitiya, Kadugannawa was found at the foot of the mountain yesterday (14) morning.
Rambukkana police suspect that this 32-year-old woman named Karen Munk had fallen to death from the mountain.
She was staying at a tourist hotel on Ampitiya Road, Kandy and left the hotel on July 10 at around 8.30 a.m. informing the hotel manager that she was going to climb the Alagalla rock. The owner of the hotel lodged a complaint with the Kandy Tourist Police around 6 p.m. on July 13 informing she had not returned to the hotel and her mobile phone had been dead.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Jagath Fonseka said that the police had taken steps to search for her since yesterday morning (14). Her body was found at the foot of the mountain when the police and Special Task Force launched an operation.
The Danish tourist had arrived in the country on June 24. She stayed at a Kandy hotel since July 1. The hotel owner told the police that she had come there alone. She was visiting Kandy and its surrounding areas from July 1 to July 9. She decided to climb the Alagalla mountain on July 10. She left the hotel stating that she was going there.According to the investigation, she went to Kadugannawa and from there to Pottapitiya by a Sri Lanka Transport Board bus. She walked from there and climbed the Alagalla mountain from Pottapitiya.
Police have also received information that she met a villager while climbing the Alagalla mountain and asked him for information.
Police suspect that she climbed to the top of the Alagalla mountain and fell from the mountain while moving from the high-risk rock called ‘Sinha gala’ at the top of the mountain to get a broad view.
Police say that her body was found lying face down at the foot of one part of the mountain. The backpack she was carrying was also with her. DIG Jagath Fonseka said that crime scene inspection officers had visited the place and conducted an investigation. A magistrate also visited the scene and inspected the body yesterday.
Her body was taken to Kegalle General Hospital yesterday (14). The police had already taken steps to inform the Denmark Embassy about this. Police say that it is expected that a post-mortem examination regarding her death will be held today (15).