Soldiers opened fire to quell a riot at a gas station, injuring seven people, three soldiers and four civilians, authorities in Sri Lanka said on Monday, with motorists waiting in line for hours to buy fuel.
The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a rally in Wuswamadou, 365 miles (365 kilometers) north of the capital, Columbus, on Saturday night, when a military post was targeted by rioters, army spokesman Nylanda Premaratne said.
“A group of 20 to 30 people threw stones and damaged an army truck,” Mr Premaratne told AFP.
According to police, four civilians and three soldiers were injured when armed men opened fire – for the first time – to quell the unrest caused by the financial crisis.
When the gas station ran out of fuel, motorists started protesting and the situation escalated into a clash with the army, according to police.
Sri Lanka is suffering from the worst economic crisis in its history. It is faced with a huge shortage of foreign exchange, which does not allow it to import sufficient quantities of food, fuel and other necessary products.
The island of 22 million inhabitants, near India, has been living for months in the rhythm of daily power outages, endless queues at gas stations, coupons at food, record inflation.
Peaceful demonstrations in recent weeks have centered on the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapakha, whom many citizens, even former supporters, have accused of mismanagement.
Authorities have decided to deploy police and military personnel at gas stations.
In April, a motorist was killed by police in Rabukana, in the central part of the country, during a fight involving the sale of fuel with a ticket.
According to police, clashes between its members and motorists broke out in at least three locations over the weekend. At least six police officers were injured in one of the incidents, while seven motorists were arrested.
The government has decided to close public services and schools for two weeks, to reduce travel and maintain the running out of fuel stock.
The UN has warned that the economic crisis could turn into a very serious humanitarian crisis. Already, millions of citizens of the island need help.
The government has announced a moratorium on its external debt ($ 51 billion) and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for new lending.
Source: Capital
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