Three women died in a stampede on Thursday, police said, when residents of the crowded Maligawatte area in Colombo rushed to receive aid distributed to those who had lost their livelihoods due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At least eight persons were injured — some of them had to be hospitalised — the local newspaper Daily Mirror reported. The aid was distributed by a private group. As of Thursday, Sri Lanka reported 1,045 COVID-19 cases and nine deaths.
The incident of residents scrambling for aid comes amid growing fear of joblessness, especially among Sri Lanka’s informal sector workers.
