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dpa
Colombo
High temperatures and petrol shortages may have combined to claim three lives in Sri Lanka in recent days, reported officials on Monday, highlighting the dangers of waiting in long queues when the temperature spikes.
Additionally, they noted, one person died after a knife fight broke out about queue jumping.
Sri Lanka has been hit by severe fuel shortages in the past three weeks due to an ongoing financial crisis because the government has failed to release dollars required for the purchases.
As a result, long queues have formed at petrol stations and transport services have been crippled. Electricity production has also been affected, leading to power cuts of four to five hours daily and hampering industry.
Two of the deaths came on Saturday, one in central Sri Lanka the other near Colombo. In both cases, people died of heart attacks after queuing for more than three hours.
A third death was reported on Monday when a 76-year-old person also suffered a heart attack in the Mirigama area, according to hospital officials.
Hospital sources said the excessive heat and the prolonged stay in the queue may have contributed to the deaths. The stabbing death was on Sunday following an argument between two people, police said.
Colombo
High temperatures and petrol shortages may have combined to claim three lives in Sri Lanka in recent days, reported officials on Monday, highlighting the dangers of waiting in long queues when the temperature spikes.
Additionally, they noted, one person died after a knife fight broke out about queue jumping.
Sri Lanka has been hit by severe fuel shortages in the past three weeks due to an ongoing financial crisis because the government has failed to release dollars required for the purchases.
As a result, long queues have formed at petrol stations and transport services have been crippled. Electricity production has also been affected, leading to power cuts of four to five hours daily and hampering industry.
Two of the deaths came on Saturday, one in central Sri Lanka the other near Colombo. In both cases, people died of heart attacks after queuing for more than three hours.
A third death was reported on Monday when a 76-year-old person also suffered a heart attack in the Mirigama area, according to hospital officials.
Hospital sources said the excessive heat and the prolonged stay in the queue may have contributed to the deaths. The stabbing death was on Sunday following an argument between two people, police said.
