Sri Lanka police open fire at protesters; 1 dead, 10 injured

By KRISHAN FRANCIS and BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan police have opened fire at a group of people protesting new fuel price increases, killing one and injuring 10 others. It is the first shooting by security forces during weeks of demonstrations over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. Police confirmed they shot at the protesters, and say they were blocking railway tracks and roads and ignored police warnings to disperse. Sri Lanka is on the brink of bankruptcy. A severe shortage of foreign exchange means the country lacks money to buy imported goods. People have endured months of shortages of essentials such as food, cooking gas, fuel and medicine, lining up for hours to buy the very limited stocks available.