In response to an overwhelming influx of devotees for the ‘Siri Dalada Vandana’ in Kandy, police have introduced a special identification tag system starting from last night (23rd), aiming to manage the massive crowds effectively. According to officials, nearly 400,000 devotees have already arrived in the city.
At a joint press conference, Senior Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Central Province Lalith Pathinayake and DIG of Kandy-Matale Sudath Masinghe stated that the queues of pilgrims are so extensive that, even if 100,000 individuals were to exit the city each day, it would still take at least three more days for the current crowd to disperse.
Due to the overwhelming situation, military personnel have also been deployed to assist with crowd control efforts.
Authorities are strongly urging the public to refrain from traveling to Kandy over the next two days to avoid further congestion and safety concerns.
In a tragic development, police confirmed that one individual in the queue suffered a heart attack and later passed away after being admitted to hospital.
Furthermore, the special train services from Colombo to Kandy, which were arranged in advance for the ‘Siri Dalada Vandana’, have now been cancelled due to the current situation.
