In response to an overwhelming influx of nearly 400,000 devotees arriving for the “Siri Dalada Vandana” in Kandy, the Sri Lanka Police have introduced a special identification tag system starting tonight (April 23) to manage the massive crowd.

At a joint media briefing, Central Province Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake and Kandy–Matale DIG Sudath Masinghe revealed that the lines are so long that even by allowing 100,000 individuals per day, it would take at least three more days to accommodate all.

With the crowd becoming uncontrollable, the military has been deployed to assist in maintaining order. Authorities have strongly advised the public to refrain from visiting Kandy over the next two days.

Meanwhile, police confirmed that one individual in the queue died of a heart attack after being admitted to the hospital. Additionally, special train services from Colombo to Kandy, originally arranged for the event, have been cancelled due to the ongoing situation.