Man dies while waiting in queue to worship Sacred Tooth Relic

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama

A person died yesterday due to a suspected heart attack while waiting for several days in a queue for the Sacred Tooth Relic exposition in Kandy at the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Kandy police said.  

Addressing the media, police said that the victim passed away after being admitted to hospital. According to police estimates, around 400,000 people are currently waiting in queues.  

“Although 400,000 people are waiting in line, only a maximum of 95,000 will get the opportunity to worship the Sacred Tooth Relic,” police said.   

“The majority of those in queues include small children, elderly people, individuals with disabilities and those on medication for serious illnesses such as cancer and heart diseases. These people find it difficult to move quickly across flyovers and steps. The queues have become extremely long and even basic facilities are hard to find,” police added.  

The police noted that such a large crowd was unexpected, and those already in line may have to wait at least three days before reaching the relic.  

As a result, the police are urging the public not to travel to Kandy tomorrow or the day after with the intention of joining the queues. To better manage the situation, a special identification sticker system will be implemented beginning last night to easily recognize those already in queues.