State of emergency in Sri Lanka as protesters tear-gassed

JULY 13: Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has declared a state of emergency in the country.

He has been appointed acting president, according to the parliament's speaker, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country.

Police have fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse protesters outside the prime minister's office. A curfew has been imposed in Western Province, which includes the capital Colombo.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country on a military jet - reportedly accompanied by his wife - days after demonstrators overran his residence. He had pledged to stand down on Wednesday amid mass protests over the island's worst economic crisis in decades.

For months people have been struggling with daily power cuts and shortages of basics like fuel, food and medicines. Thousands have taken to the streets in anger in recent weeks, with many blaming the Rajapaksa family and their government for the situation.