Sri Lanka troops open fire to contain fuel riots

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan military opened fire to contain unrest at a fuel station, authorities said on Sunday, as unprecedented queues to buy gasoline and diesel were seen across the bankrupt country.

Troops fired on Visuvamadu, 365 kilometers (228 miles) north of Colombo, on Saturday night when they stoned their guard post, army spokeswoman Nilantha Premaratne said.

“A group of 20 to 30 people threw stones and damaged an army truck,” Premaratne told AFP.

Police said four civilians and three soldiers were injured when the army first opened fire to quell unrest related to the worsening economic crisis.

When the pump ran out of gas, motorists began to protest and the situation escalated into a standoff with troops, police said.

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since independence, with the country unable to find dollars to import essential items, including food, fuel and medicine.

The nation’s 22 million people have been enduring acute shortages and long lines for scarce supplies, while President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resisted calls for months to resign over mismanagement.

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Sri Lanka has deployed armed police and troops to protect fuel stations.

Police shot dead a motorist in April in the central city of Rambukkana when a clash broke out over the distribution of rationed gasoline and diesel.

Police said clashes between motorists broke out at three locations over the weekend. At least six officers were injured in a confrontation and seven motorists were arrested.

The government declared a two-week closure of state institutions and schools in a bid to reduce travel and conserve the impoverished nation’s depleting fuel reserves.

The country is also facing record inflation and lengthy blackouts, all of which have contributed to months of protests.

Four out of five people in Sri Lanka have started skipping meals because they cannot afford to eat, the UN said, warning of an impending “serious humanitarian crisis” with millions in need of help.

The World Food Program (WFP) began distributing food stamps to some 2,000 pregnant women in “neglected” areas of Colombo as part of “life-saving assistance” on Thursday.

The WFP is trying to raise million for a food relief effort between June and December.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51bn foreign debt in April and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.