Police fired on a group blocking a highway in Rambukkana, in the center of the island, to protest acute oil shortages and high prices, hospital and police officials said.

"A man died of gunshot wounds," a hospital official told AFP by telephone.

Police said they fired tear gas to disperse a crowd about to set fire to a tanker carrying diesel.

But "instead of dispersing, the crowd started throwing stones. At that point, the police fired," spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said in a statement.

A curfew has been imposed in the area, officials said.

Sri Lanka is going through the most serious economic crisis known since its independence in 1948, with shortages of essential goods and regular power cuts.

Huge protests have called for the resignation of the government which is preparing to negotiate an urgent bailout with the International Monetary Fund of 3 to 4 billion dollars.

Sri Lanka announced on April 12 that it would default on its $51 billion foreign debt.

Protesters block a road in Rambukkana, April 19, 2022 in Sri Lanka - AFP

On Tuesday, spontaneous demonstrations erupted across the island where, according to police and local authorities, tens of thousands of angry motorists torched tires and blocked roads to protest fuel shortages and rising fuel prices. price.

The country's main fuel distributor, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), thus increased its prices by 64.2%, just after the private distributor Lanka IOC, which represents a third of the fuel market, had increased its prices by 35%. %.

"People are suffering"

These demonstrations by motorists took place alongside the one taking place in Colombo, for the 11th day in a row, calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Doctors at the country's main children's hospital also protested outside the facility on Tuesday demanding medicine and medical equipment.

Protesters block a road in Rambukkana, April 19, 2022 in Sri Lanka - AFP

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said she was "deeply saddened" by Tuesday's incidents as she called for "a full and transparent investigation" and "respect" for the "people's right to peaceful protest ".

The Sri Lankan Bar has also called for an impartial investigation into the violence.

In an attempt to defuse the crisis, President Rajapaksa appointed a new government on Monday from which two of his brothers and a nephew were dismissed.

However, he kept his elder brother and clan leader, Mahinda Rajapaksa, as prime minister.

Demonstration in front of the seat of government, April 19, 2022 in Colombo, Sri Lanka Jewel SAMAD AFP

Dozens of MPs from Rajapaksa's coalition changed sides and took their places on the opposition benches on Tuesday.

"People are suffering because of the economic crisis and I deeply regret it," the president had told the new cabinet the day before, conceding that Sri Lanka should have gone to the IMF "much earlier."

He also admitted that the government made a "mistake" in banning agrochemicals last year, a move taken to save the foreign currency the country is also short of.

The measure had a devastating effect on agricultural yields.

The Covid-19 pandemic has played a big role in the collapse of the economy by depriving this South Asian island of an essential resource, tourism.

Anti-government demonstration in Colombo, April 19, 2022 in Sri Lanka ISHARA S. KODIKARA AFP

As trading was suspended on the Colombo Stock Exchange, the government urged expatriate Sri Lankan nationals to donate currency to their country to enable it to purchase essential goods.

© 2022 AFP