A foreign tourist has died at the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, sparking renewed outrage over the lack of emergency medical services at one of Sri Lanka’s most famous tourist attractions.
The Ceylon Spirit Tourism Association confirmed the incident, with its secretary N.P. Wijesinghe stating that the absence of basic first aid services had directly contributed to the tragedy.
He shared a video of the tourist receiving emergency chest compressions, which were delivered by bystanders who were not trained in first aid. Due to its graphic nature and to protect those affected, we have not reproduced the video.
“Over the past two to three years, six people—including both tourists and tour guides—have lost their lives in Sigiriya due to the lack of proper emergency medical care,” Wijesinghe revealed on Facebook.
Despite the steep entrance fee of Rs. 11,000, visitors are left without basic first aid or emergency response services at the site. Wijesinghe demanded immediate action from authorities.
“How many more lives must be lost before basic medical facilities are put in place?” he asked, calling out official negligence and mismanagement in a strongly worded social media post.
Wijesinghe criticised government officials, accusing them of indifference and prioritising personal gain over public safety. “Some officials are busy writing Facebook comments, others are just warming their chairs, and those who lobbied for positions have disappeared after securing them,” he said.
Tourism industry professionals have expressed deep concern over the repeated deaths at Sigiriya and warned that continued neglect could severely damage Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
“As tourism service providers, we are calling on the authorities to treat this as a priority issue,” said Wijesinghe. “The government must ensure first aid facilities are immediately established, not just at Sigiriya but at all major tourist destinations.”
The incident comes at a time when Sri Lanka is actively seeking to revive its tourism sector, following the economic crisis and years of political instability. However, the failure to provide basic safety measures continues to raise serious concerns about the competence of those managing the country’s premier attractions.
Adding to the controversy, the government is reportedly preparing to open Sigiriya for night visits, despite existing safety concerns and the absence of emergency facilities.
“Instead of focusing on gimmicks like night tourism, authorities should first ensure the basic qualifications to operate a world-class site are met,” Wijesinghe remarked.
The latest death comes after a British woman and a German woman both died after suddenly falling ill at their hostel in Colombo earlier this year.