Sri Lankan police says it will launch an “impartial and transparent” investigation into clashes with protesters after the first death in weeks of unrest over the government’s handling of the economy.
Police fired live ammunition to scatter protesters on Tuesday in the town of Rambukkana, northeast of the commercial capital Colombo, killing one person and wounding a dozen.
Demonstrations have roiled the South Asian island nation of 22 million people for weeks, with people protesting at shortages of fuel and other items and prolonged power cuts.
Residents and a government minister said the shooting broke out after protesters blocked a railway line and stopped a fuel tanker attempting to cross it.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Twitter expressed deep sadness, adding that Sri Lankan citizens’ right to peacefully protest won’t be hindered,”.
Senior police spokesperson Ajith Rohana said a 20-member team had been formed to investigate the incident and one person had been arrested.
Rambukkana was calm on Wednesday with minimal security on the streets. A four-member police forensics team combed the area around the railway crossing.
Police also cordoned off part of the petrol station where violence also flared, including a small dusty, blood-stained patch. Rocks, ammunition casings and spent tear gas canisters were strewn about.
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