Sri Lanka crisis: Youth dies of 'breathing difficulties' during stir outside PM's office

Sri Lanka crisis: The man had earlier been taken to a private hospital in Colombo where he died during treatment, a report in Daily Mirror stated.

Updated on: Jul 13, 2022, 22:53:14 IST

By HT News Desk

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Amid massive protests outside Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe's office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, a 26-year-old man reportedly died after developing breathing difficulties when forces opened tear gas to control the situation.

Demonstrators gather outside the office of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo on Wednesday. (REUTERS)

The man had earlier been rushed to a private hospital in Colombo where he died during treatment, according to a report in Daily Mirror.

Read here for live updates on the crisis

Protestors had entered Wickremesinghe's office hours ago defying security cordon and raised national flags top the building.

Wickremesinghe, the crisis-hit country's prime minister, was named the Acting President by embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as he fled to Maldives with his family in the wake of massive protests. According to latest reports, Rajapaksa is expected to head to Singapore in the next few hours.

Also read | A crescendo that felled Lanka’s most powerful

The protesters are demanding the resignation of both Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe.

The military, meanwhile, called for a 'political resolution' to the ongoing stand-off between the government and demonstrators. In a statement, the military requested the speaker of the country's parliament to hold an all-party meeting to prevent the crisis from worsening.

The island nation is witnessing widespread protests as political leaders struggle to resolve the economic crisis, which has been simmering for months now.

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