Colombo: Sri Lankan Army A fuel station opened fire to stop a riot, officials said on Sunday, as the bankrupt country saw unprecedented queues for petrol and diesel.
An army spokesman said soldiers opened fire on Saturday night at Visuvamadu, 365 kilometers (228 miles) north of Colombo, when their guard point was pelted with stones. Nilantha Premaratne Told.
“A group of 20 to 30 people pelted stones and damaged an army truck,” Premaratne told AFP.
Police said four civilians and three soldiers were injured in the first-ever military firing to end unrest linked to the worsening economic crisis.
Police said that as soon as the petrol at the pump ran out, the motorists started protesting and the situation turned into a clash with the soldiers.
Sri Lanka is grappling with its worst economic crisis since independence, with the country unable to get dollars to import essential goods, including food, fuel and medicines.
The country’s 22 million population is facing acute shortages and long queues for scarce supplies, while the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Has been protesting for months to step down over mismanagement.
Sri Lanka has deployed armed police and troops to guard the fuel stations.
A motorist was shot dead by police in the central city of Rambukana in April after a clash broke out over the distribution of rations, petrol and diesel.
Police said clashes broke out between motorists at three places over the weekend. At least six constables were injured in a clash, while seven motorists were arrested.
The government announced the closure of state institutions and schools for two weeks to avoid commuting and dwindling fuel stocks in the poor country.
The country is also facing record high inflation and protracted power blackouts, all of which have contributed to months of protests.
Four out of five people in Sri Lanka have started skipping meals because they can’t afford food, the UN has warned of a “serious humanitarian crisis” in aid of millions.
world food program (WFP) on Thursday began distributing food vouchers to nearly 2,000 pregnant women in “underserved” areas of Colombo as part of “life-saving assistance”.
WFP is trying to raise $60 million for the food relief effort between June and December.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April, and is in talks with International Monetary Fund for a bailout
An army spokesman said soldiers opened fire on Saturday night at Visuvamadu, 365 kilometers (228 miles) north of Colombo, when their guard point was pelted with stones. Nilantha Premaratne Told.
“A group of 20 to 30 people pelted stones and damaged an army truck,” Premaratne told AFP.
Police said four civilians and three soldiers were injured in the first-ever military firing to end unrest linked to the worsening economic crisis.
Police said that as soon as the petrol at the pump ran out, the motorists started protesting and the situation turned into a clash with the soldiers.
Sri Lanka is grappling with its worst economic crisis since independence, with the country unable to get dollars to import essential goods, including food, fuel and medicines.
The country’s 22 million population is facing acute shortages and long queues for scarce supplies, while the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa Has been protesting for months to step down over mismanagement.
Sri Lanka has deployed armed police and troops to guard the fuel stations.
A motorist was shot dead by police in the central city of Rambukana in April after a clash broke out over the distribution of rations, petrol and diesel.
Police said clashes broke out between motorists at three places over the weekend. At least six constables were injured in a clash, while seven motorists were arrested.
The government announced the closure of state institutions and schools for two weeks to avoid commuting and dwindling fuel stocks in the poor country.
The country is also facing record high inflation and protracted power blackouts, all of which have contributed to months of protests.
Four out of five people in Sri Lanka have started skipping meals because they can’t afford food, the UN has warned of a “serious humanitarian crisis” in aid of millions.
world food program (WFP) on Thursday began distributing food vouchers to nearly 2,000 pregnant women in “underserved” areas of Colombo as part of “life-saving assistance”.
WFP is trying to raise $60 million for the food relief effort between June and December.
Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt in April, and is in talks with International Monetary Fund for a bailout