The global energy crisis is hardest hitting third world countries. The tropical island of Sri Lanka is forced to introduce emergency measures to cope with problems in providing the population with automotive fuel.

According to CNA, authorities on Tuesday ordered troops to take control of all gas stations owned by the local state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation in order to prevent chaos at gas stations. Shortly before this, thousands of motorcyclists and simply furious residents began to block roads and protest against problems with the supply of gasoline, as well as kerosene, which is used by a significant part of the local poor to cook food. Low-income people were forced to switch to kerosene after the local second-largest gas supplier raised the price of a bottle by nearly five and a half dollars.

The queues for fuel have become a real disaster for the inhabitants of the island, who are forced to suffer, trying to get the necessary fuel. During the many hours of waiting, two elderly Sri Lankans have already died, another local resident died during a fight in the queue for fuel.

The situation on the island is now really difficult, and not only because of the lack of gasoline. The electric power industry is also suffering, because of which a wave of power outages swept across the country, in some areas the power is turned off for several hours. Many call the current economic crisis the worst in the history of independent Sri Lanka, which has existed as a separate state since 1948.