On the morning of 29 July 1999, Tiruchelvam was on his way to office at Kynsey Terrace, Colombo when, around 9.10 a.m., a man threw himself onto Tiruchelvam's car near the Kynsey Road-Rosemead Place Junction, detonating an explosive, killing Tiruchelvam and the suspect himself. Thiruchelvam's driver, bodyguard and three policemen in an escort jeep behind the car were also injured.
On July 29, 1999, Tiruchelvam was traveling to his office at Kynsey Terrace in Colombo when a man attacked him by throwing himself onto his car near the intersection of Kynsey Road and Rosemead Place. The attacker detonated an explosive, killing both himself and Tiruchelvam.  Tiruchelvam's driver, bodyguard, and three police officers in an escort vehicle behind him were also injured.