Sri Lanka police open fire at protesters; 1 dead, 13 injured

By KRISHAN FRANCIS and BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI
Associated Press

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan police have opened fire at people protesting new fuel price increases, killing one and injuring 13 others, in a town northeast of the capital. Tuesday’s shooting was the first by security forces during weeks of demonstrations over the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. Police confirmed they shot at the protesters in Rambukkana, 55 miles from Colombo, after the demonstrators blocked railway tracks and roads and refused to leave. Fifteen police had minor injuries after the clashes. Sri Lanka is on the brink of bankruptcy, and the lack of foreign exchange means the country has had shortages of fuel, food and other essentials.