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, a fatal attack occurred when a man threw himself onto Tiruchelvam's car near the Kynsey Road-Rosemead Place Junction in Colombo, Sri Lanka.  The incident resulted in the death of both the attacker and Tiruchelvam, as well as injuries to his driver, bodyguard, and three police officers in an escort vehicle behind him.