For months, protesters had been camping out in front of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in Sri Lanka's capital, demanding his resignation.

On Saturday they first stormed the residence and offices of the head of state in the capital Colombo.

Footage circulated by the Newswire agency showed protesters cooling off in his pool, lying on a bed and taking selfies in amusement.

Another video allegedly showed the president's motor pool: a garage with more than a dozen sedans.

At least 33 people were injured and taken to hospital, according to the Newsfirst television channel.

According to a spokesman, the head of state had been taken to safety outside the capital and announced his resignation through his spokesman for next Wednesday.

Till Fähnders

Political correspondent for Southeast Asia.

  • Follow I follow

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private home was attacked on Saturday evening.

Video footage circulating on social media shows the house on fire.

"Protesters broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire," a government official told the BBC.

It was not immediately known where the head of government was at the time of the attack.

Wickremesinghe lives in the house with his family and only uses his actual residence for official business.

Thousands of people had gathered on the streets of Colombo before the attacks on the President's residence and the Prime Minister's house.

Many had traveled from the suburbs.

Sri Lankan police lifted a curfew after calling it "illegal".

She had tried to push people back with tear gas and water cannons.

The demonstrators tore down barricades and eventually gained access to the buildings.

The allegations against the Prime Minister

Before the attack on his private home, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe called the party leaders to an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

His office then announced that the prime minister was ready to step down in favor of an all-party government.

Wickremesinghe, who is in office for the sixth time, was appointed chief of cabinet after the resignation of the president's brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The largest opposition party initially rejected a meeting.

Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa accused the prime minister of shielding the Rajapaksas from popular anger.

The clan of politicians had ruled from 2005 to 2015 and returned to power with the 2019 election.

People blame the Rajapaksas for the catastrophic economic situation in the South Asian island nation.

High debts, a series of unprofitable large-scale investments, a slump in agricultural production and tourism have meant that the country can no longer afford to import fuel, gas, medicines and much food.

Endless queues form in front of the gas stations, and the electricity is shut off for several hours every day.

Wickremesinghe recently announced the country's "bankruptcy" in parliament.

Sir Lanka has not been servicing its foreign debt since April.

The government is hoping for help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but negotiations appear to be difficult.

The American Ambassador Julie Chung asked people on Friday to remain peaceful despite everything.

"Chaos and violence will not save the economy and bring the political stability Sri Lanka now needs," she wrote on Twitter.

The office of the UN human rights commissioner had asked the security forces to exercise restraint.

"Sri Lanka's people are already suffering tremendously and living with insecurity to meet basic needs such as food, health and education," said a spokeswoman.

"You have the right to protest peacefully, demanding a better life and an end to economic and social hardship."