Sri Lanka: 10 injured in clash between protesting factions

COLOMBO: At least 10 people were injured and later hospitalised following a clash at Temple Trees in Colombo on Tuesday.

Nine men and one woman were admitted for treatment, of which six were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital (CNH), Daily Mirror reported citing sources.

Two patients were discharged from the outpatient department (OPD) and another two patients are still receiving treatment at the OPD, it added.

A clash between two protesting factions broke out at 2.45 am on Tuesday. The worsening economic situation in the country has led to increasing tensions and over the last few weeks, there were reports of several confrontations between individuals and members of the police force and the armed forces at fuel stations where thousands of desperate members of the public have queued for hours and sometimes days.

Thousands of people stormed into the President's House in Fort on Saturday.

The dramatic visuals came from PM's official residence where they were seen playing carrom board, sleeping on the sofa, enjoying in park premises and preparing food for dinner.

Earlier, on Saturday, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in a press conference that the President will resign from his post on July 13.

Rajapaksa officially informed PM Wickremesinghe that he is resigning from his post. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also announced to step down from his posts amid the ongoing protests.

However, the protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts.

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress.

The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice. Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages.

The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty - some for the first time - adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic.