Three crushed to death in stampede for US$8 handout

COLOMBO: Three women were trampled to death during a stampede for an US$8 cash handout in Colombo Thursday, amid growing desperation among Sri Lankans struggling to make ends meet during a coronavirus lockdown that has smashed the economy.

Some 1,000 people queued outside a businessman’s warehouse for his annual handout during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, local member of parliament Mujibur Rahman said.

There was a rush for the 1,500-rupee gift – about the same amount as a labourer’s daily wage – when the gates opened, he said.

“Some people tried to break the queue and enter. That is when the women at the top of the queue fell and were trampled to death,” Rahman told AFP.

Nine others were seriously hurt in the stampede and taken to hospital, he said, adding that there was a largerthan-usual crowd during this year’s event, which has been taking place for decades.

“People have not earned any money for two months because of the virus lockdown (since March 20). People are desperate. When they heard about today’s donation, over a thousand turned up,” Rahman said.

The businessman, who has not been named by authorities, and five of his assistants were arrested for violating the lockdown, Colombo police chief Deshabandu Tennakoon told reporters.

Government cash handouts this month – 5,000 rupees each to 5.14 million families living below the poverty line – also sparked chaotic scenes in villages. — AFP