Sri Lanka: Timeline of a crisis as president flies out of the country

Sri Lanka is mired in a deep political and economic crisis, and on Wednesday July 13, the country's president flew out of the country days after a huge crowd of protesters stormed his residence. The island nation of 22 million people has suffered months of lengthy blackouts, acute food and fuel shortages and galloping inflation in its most painful downturn on record. Months of protests have demanded the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose government has been blamed for chronic mismanagement of the country's finances. Here is a look back at how the crisis has unfolded:

April 1: STATE OF EMERGENCY: Gotabaya Rajapaksa declares a temporary state of emergency, giving security forces sweeping powers to arrest and detain suspects, after a spate of protests.

April 3: CABINET RESIGNS: Almost all of Sri Lanka's cabinet resigns at a late-night meeting, leaving Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda - the prime minister - isolated. The governor of the central bank, having resisted calls to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), announces his resignation a day later.

APRIL 5: PRESIDENT LOSES MAJORITY: President Rajapaksa's problems deepen as finance minister Ali Sabry resigns just a day after he was appointed. The embattled leader loses his parliamentary majority as former allies urge him to quit. He lifts the state of emergency.

APRIL 10: MEDICINE SHORTAGES: Sri Lanka's doctors say they are nearly out of life-saving medicines, warning that the crisis could end up killing more people than the coronavirus. Above: Sri Lankan Prime Minister's Office taken over by protesters, in Colombo on Wednesday.

APRIL 12: FOREIGN DEBT DEFAULT: The government announces it is defaulting on its foreign debt of $51 billion as a "last resort" after running out of foreign exchange to import desperately needed goods.

APRIL 19: FIRST CASUALTY: Police kill a protester, the first casualty of several weeks of anti-government protests. The next day, the IMF says it has asked Sri Lanka to restructure its colossal external debt before a rescue package can be agreed. Above: A man throws acone amid tear gas as demonstrators take part in an anti-government protest outside the office of Sri Lanka's prime minister in Colombo on July 13, 2022.

MAY 9: DAY OF VIOLENCE: A mob of government loyalists bussed in from the countryside attacks peaceful protesters camped outside the president's seafront office in Colombo. Nine people are killed and hundreds more injured in the reprisal attacks that follow, with crowds targeting those responsible for the violence and setting fire to the homes of lawmakers. Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns as prime minister and has to be rescued by troops after thousands of protesters storm his residence in Colombo. He is replaced by Ranil Wickremesinghe, a political veteran who had already served several terms as premier. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe signs the condolence book for former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe (above) at the Japanese Embassy, in Colombo on Tuesday.

MAY 10: SHOOT-TO-KILL ORDERS: The defence ministry orders troops to shoot on sight anyone involved in looting or "causing harm to life". But protesters defy a fresh government curfew, which is rolled back at the end of the week. The top police officer in Colombo is assaulted and his vehicle set ablaze. A police officer stands guard near a part of the private residence of the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after it was burnt by demonstrators during a protest against him

JUNE 10: 'HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCY': The United Nations warns that Sri Lanka is facing a dire humanitarian crisis, with millions already in need of aid. More than three-quarters of the population had reduced their food intake due to the country's severe food shortages, the UN says. Above: The UN flag is seen at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva

JUNE 27: FUEL SALES SUSPENDED: The government says Sri Lanka is nearly out of fuel and halts all petrol sales except for essential services. A driver of an autorickshaw sleeps inside his rickshaw while waiting in a queue to buy petrol at a fuel station in Colombo.

JULY 1: NEW INFLATION RECORD: The government publishes data showing inflation has hit a record high for the ninth consecutive month, a day after the IMF asks Sri Lanka to rein in prices. Above: Women stand in front of a graffiti painted outside the premises of Sri Lanka's presidential palace, in Colombo

JULY 9: PRESIDENT'S HOME STORMED: President Rajapaksa flees his official residence in Colombo with the assistance of troops, shortly before demonstrators storm the compound. He is taken to an undisclosed location. Footage from inside the residence shows jubilant protesters jumping in the pool and exploring its stately bedrooms. Wickremesinghe's residence is set on fire. Police say he and his family were not at the scene. Rajapaksa later offers to step down on July 13, parliamentary speaker Mahinda Abeywardana says in a televised statement.

JULY 13: PRESIDENT FLEES COUNTRY: President Rajapaksa flies to the Maldives on a military aircraft, accompanied by his wife and two bodyguards. His departure comes after a humiliating airport standoff in Colombo, where immigration staff did not allow VIP services and insisted all passengers go through public counters. The presidential party was reluctant to go through regular channels fearing public reactions, a security official said.