A deputy from the ruling party in Sri Lanka he killed an anti-government protester and then killed himself during clashes outside the capital Colombo, police said.

Deputy Amarakeerthi Athukorala opened fire and seriously injured two people who were blocking his car in Nittambuwaand was later found dead after trying to take shelter in a nearby building, police said.

Clashes between government supporters and anti-government protesters have left some 140 injured admitted to the national hospital in the capital, said a spokeswoman for that establishment.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned this Monday, according to his spokesman, shortly after the beginning of the violent incidents.

For months now, this small island country of 22 million inhabitants from the south of Asia independent since 1948, suffers from serious shortage of food, fuel and medicine.

Protesters have demanded for several weeks the resignation of the president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government, accused of provoking the crisis.

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