Tulips razed in Japan to prevent crowds from gathering

The flowers were the centrepiece of a popular annual festival in Sakura city, east of Tokyo, that was cancelled this year. People still gathered to admire the flowers, however, making social distancing difficult.

Tokyo: Tens of thousands of tulips in full bloom were razed at a Japanese park to prevent crowds from gathering.

The flowers were the centrepiece of a popular annual festival in Sakura city, east of Tokyo, that was canceled this year. People still gathered to admire the flowers, however, making social distancing difficult.

"We, of course, wish for many people to see our flowers, but this situation is now about human life. It was a heart-wrenching decision, but we had to do it," Takahiro Kogo, a city official overseeing the park, said.

(With inputs from PTI)