Buddhists overwhelm city in bid to see sacred tooth

Buddhists flocking to see a sacred tooth in Sri Lanka were urged by authorities to stay away after four people died and hundreds fell sick while in lengthy queues, AFP reported.

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 Sunday.

Officials estimated there were around 450,000 people in queues on Thursday morning, 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 Sarath Abeykoon, the province governor. “Health authorities have raised concerns about sanitation.”

The railway department said it was suspending all additional trains to the city because 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 its excessive weight.

Police said 32 buses were turned away because the city had run out of parking spaces.

The relic was last displayed publicly in March 2009, when an estimated one million people paid homage.

Authorities had expected around 2 million visitors over the 10-day exhibition this time, but that figure was surpassed within five days.