Sri Lankan soldiers opened fire to contain a riot at a petrol station, injuring seven, three soldiers and four civilians, authorities said on Sunday as motorists queue for hours for fuel.
The incidents took place in Vusuvamadu, 365 kilometers north of the capital Colombo, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, when a military post was the target of stones, said the spokesman of the army. , Nilantha Premaratne.
“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 opened fire for the first time to quell unrest linked to the worsening economic crisis.
When the gas station ran dry, motorists began to protest and the situation escalated into a clash with the army, police said.
Sri Lanka has been hit by the worst economic crisis in its history and a severe shortage of foreign currency is preventing it from importing enough food, fuel and other essentials.
The island of 22 million inhabitants, neighboring India, has lived for many months to the rhythm of daily power outages, long queues in front of fuel stations, food rationing and a record inflation.
Peaceful protests have been calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for weeks, accusing them of mismanagement.
Sri Lanka has deployed police and armed soldiers in front of petrol stations.
In April, a motorist was shot dead by police in Rambukkana, in the center of the country, during a clash linked to the rationing of petrol.
Police say clashes involving police and motorists broke out at three locations over the weekend.
At least six law enforcement officials were injured in a clash, while seven motorists were arrested.
The government has decreed the closure of administrations and schools for two weeks in order to reduce travel and preserve fuel stocks which are running out.
The UN has warned that the economic crisis could turn into a serious humanitarian crisis, with millions of people already in need of aid.
The government has already defaulted on its $51 billion external debt and is in talks with the IMF for a bailout.