COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cabinet ministers have resigned en masse after protests over the government’s handling of the worst economic crisis in decades, BBC has reported.

All 26 ministers submitted letters of resignation – but not Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa or his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the report said.

Earlier protesters defied a curfew to take to the streets in several cities.

The country is grappling with what is said to be its worst economic crisis since independence from the UK in 1948.

It is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which is used to pay for fuel imports.

With power cuts lasting half a day or more, and shortages of food, medicines and fuel, public anger has reached a new high, BBC said.

Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told reporters that the cabinet’s ministers had tendered their resignation letters to the prime minister.

The prime minister’s own son, Namal Rajapaksa, was among those who resigned, tweeting that he hoped it would help the president and PM’s “decision to establish stability for the people and the government”.

(With inputs from BBC)