Armed Forces deployed as fuel stations in Colombo re-open

Colombo, Apr 02: Armed cops have been stationed at fuel stations in Colombo a day after a state of emergency was declared to tackle the unrest among the public.

Armed Forces were stationed at fuel stations to ensure that there is no chaos or protests that take place.

Meanwhile shops in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo opened the first day after the emergency was declared. Shops and establishments were heavily guarded by the security forces.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had on Friday declared a nationwide public emergency amidst a spate of protests, including outside his house, over the worst economic crisis in the island nation.

American ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung said, "I am watching the situation closely, and hope the coming days bring restraint from all sides, as well as much needed economic stability and relief for those suffering."

In the gazette, the President states: "Whereas I am of opinion that by reason of a public emergency in Sri Lanka it is expedient to do so in the interests of public security the protection of public order and the maintenance of supplies and services essential to the life of the community".

The move also came as the island nation braced for country-wide protests on Sunday against the government's poor handling of the ongoing economic crisis where people currently endure long hours of power outages and scarcity of essentials.