Sri Lanka declares state of emergency hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flees

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka declared a nationwide state of emergency on Wednesday, hours after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, reported AFP citing the Prime Minister's office.

AFP quoted Prime Minister's spokesman, Dinouk Colombage, as saying, "Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to deal with the situation in the country."

According to reports, Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken over as the acting President.


Amidst severe public protest and an ultimatum to resign by protestors who took over the President's House in a violent protest on Saturday, Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country secretly, reported IANS on early Wednesday.

Rajapaksa who attempted to escape together with his brother former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa on Tuesday early was prevented to do so by immigration officers. However, he left the country in an Antonov-32 aircraftbelonging to Sri Lanka Air Force which took off from the main international airport, IANS reported citing sources.

On July 9 (Saturday), Rajapaksa left his official residence after protestors entered it and symbolically ousted the President. Gotabaya had announced that he would resign on Wednesday but had allegedly retracted stating that he would not resign if his family members were not allowed to flee the country.

Protestors had given an ultimatum till Wednesday by 1 pm for the resignation of the President and warned that mass crowds will be summoned to Colombo if retract his promise.


(With inputs from agencies)