Anti-government protesters in Sri Lanka on Tuesday arrange a checkpoint on the highway resulting in the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo to stop the Rajapaksa household loyalists from fleeing the nation, as violence and widespread protest continued in opposition to the regime over the nation’s worst financial disaster in many years.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, resigned as prime minister on Monday amid unprecedented financial turmoil, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protestors, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops within the capital. The assault triggered widespread violence in opposition to pro-Rajapaksa politicians.
“Large group of people have set up a checkpoint on the road leading to the Katunayake Airport. They are trying to prevent ruling fact loyalists from fleeing the country,” News 1st channel reported.
The Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo is domestically often called Katunayake Airport.
Mahinda, alongside along with his spouse and household, fled his official residence – Temple Trees – and took shelter at a naval base in Trincomalee – a port metropolis on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka.
Whole the night time on Monday, the police fired teargas shells to quell mobs attempting to enter the Temple Trees residence. In the early hours of Tuesday, police fired tear gasoline and warning pictures to carry again mobs as safety forces moved Mahinda and his household out of his official residence.
A protest has begun in entrance of the Trincomalee Naval Base after stories that Mahinda and a few of his members of the family are there after leaving Temple Trees.
On Monday, protesters attacked the ancestral residence of the Rajapaksas in Hambantota, the homes of 14 former ministers, 18 lawmakers, together with former Deputy Speaker, and leaders loyal to the Rajapaksa household.
Meanwhile, the variety of individuals injured in latest clashes has risen to 249, whereas 7 have been killed in the identical, hospital sources stated.
A Spokesperson for the National Hospital said that 232 individuals injured within the clashes have been admitted to the hospital for therapy thus far.
Five of the injured are at the moment receiving therapy on the Intensive Care Unit.
Sri Lanka is going through its worst financial disaster since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
The disaster is triggered partly by an absence of international forex, which has meant that the nation can not afford to pay for imports of staple meals and gasoline, resulting in acute shortages and really excessive costs.
Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets throughout Sri Lanka since April 9 searching for resignation of President Gotabaya and Prime Minister Mahinda, as the federal government ran out of cash for very important imports; costs of important commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in gasoline, medicines and electrical energy provide.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
