COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on a military jet, amid mass protests over its economic crisis, reports said.
The 73-year-old arrived in Male, the capital of the Maldives at around 03:00 local time, according to BBC.
Rajapaksa’s departure ends a family dynasty that has ruled Sri Lanka for decades.
He had been in hiding after crowds stormed his residence on Saturday.
His brother, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, has also left the country, sources told the BBC. He is said to be heading to the US.
On Tuesday evening there were already thousands of people massing at the park, awaiting the president’s resignation.
Sri Lankans blame President Rajapaksa’s administration for their worst economic crisis in decades.
For months they have been struggling with daily power cuts and shortages of basics like fuel, food and medicines, according to the report.
(Inputs from BBC)
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