Pallade Veneta - Sri Lanka Buddhists overwhelm city in bid to see sacred tooth

Regional police chief Lalith Pathinayake said queues in the city of Kandy were already 10 kilometres (six miles) long to worship what Buddhists 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 that nearly 300 people had been admitted after falling ill while spending days in cramped conditions. One woman was pronounced dead on admission.

More than 2,000 people who fainted while queuing were treated at 11 mobile health units, local officials said.

"We are trying to avoid a stampede," said Sarath Abeykoon, the governor of the province. "Health authorities have raised concerns about sanitation."

The railway department said it was suspending all additional trains to the city as authorities were already overwhelmed by the number of pilgrims.

Police said 32 buses were turned away as 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.

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

B.Cretella--PV