Huge crowds gather in Sri Lanka’s city of Kandy to see a sacred Buddhist relic. Photo by AFP
Buddhists flocking to see a sacred tooth in Sri Lanka were urged by the authorities to stay away on April 24 after four people died and hundreds fell sick while in lengthy queues.
Regional police chief Lalith Pathinayake said queues in the city of Kandy were already 10 km long as Buddhists waited to worship what they believe to be a tooth of the Buddha – a special showing of the relic that will end on April 27.
Officials estimated there were around 450,000 people in queues on the morning of April 23, more than double the expected daily number of 200,000.
“At the rate the queue is moving, even those already in line this morning may not be able to enter the temple,” Deputy Inspector-General Pathinayake said. “We appeal to the people not to come to Kandy.”
The city’s main state-run hospital reported more than 300 people had been admitted after falling ill while spending days in cramped conditions.
Four people, including an older woman, were pronounced dead on admission.
More than 2,000 people who fainted while standing in line were treated at 11 mobile health units, local officials said.
“We are trying to avoid a stampede,” said Ms Sarath Abeykoon, the governor of the province. “The health authorities have raised concerns about sanitation.”
The railway department said it was suspending all additional trains to the city because the authorities were already overwhelmed by the number of pilgrims.
Police commandos were deployed to move thousands of pilgrims away from an old bridge that officials warned could collapse due to the excessive weight on it.
Police said 32 buses were turned away because the city had run out of parking space.
The relic was last displayed publicly in March 2009, when an estimated one million people paid homage.
The authorities had expected around two million visitors over the 10-day exhibition this time, but that figure was surpassed within five days.
