26-year-old protester dies of breathing difficulties

COLOMBO: A 26-year-old protester who was hospitalized after being tear-gassed has died of breathing difficulties.

Protests against the economic crisis have simmered for months and came to a head last weekend when hundreds of thousands of people took over government buildings in Colombo, blaming the Rajapaksas and their allies for runaway inflation, shortages and corruption.

Amid the economic and political chaos, Sri Lanka’s sovereign bond prices hit record lows on Wednesday.

The US Embassy in Colombo said it was cancelling consular services for the afternoon and for Thursday as a precautionary measure.

Petrol has been severely rationed and long lines have formed in front of shops selling cooking gas.

Headline inflation hit 54.6% last month and the central bank has warned that it could rise to 70% in coming months.