Sri Lanka economic crisis: 8 dead in violent protests amid curfew, politicians' homes set afire | Top points

Sri Lanka news: The violent protests over the unprecedented economic crisis have claimed at least eight lives so far even as the government imposed a nationwide curfew. Several politicians' homes, including that of the Rajapaksa family, have been set on fire by anti-government protesters. Here are the top developments.

The civil unrest in Sri Lanka has escalated to unprecedented levels over the past few days as the protests against the country’s government over the economic crisis continue. Mahinda Rajapaksa (76), who resigned as the Sri Lankan Prime Minister on Monday, is facing calls for arrest for inciting violence that claimed at least eight lives.

ALSO READ | How the economic crisis unfolded in Sri Lanka

#UPDATETense situation is Negombo where shops and vehicles torched#SriLankaCrisis #SriLankaProtests #Srilanka pic.twitter.com/AySswTAMt1

Here’s a quick roundup of what’s happening in Sri Lanka:

1. Supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa clashed with the anti-government protesters, who demanded his ouster over Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis that has led to acute shortages of food, fuel and medicines and prolonged power cuts.

2. Mahinda Rajapaksa quit his post on Monday but violence erupted in the island nation soon after his resignation. Soon after his resignation, the ancestral home of the politically-influential Rajapaksa family in Hambantota was set on fire by protesters. The homes of several ministers and ex-ministers were also attacked and set on fire.