In Sri Lanka, in at least two different incidents, mobs formed around gasoline stations and began to riot, only to see the military respond and open fire.

The larger incident, in northeast Mullaitivu, precipitated an official statement from the military, saying a “drunk” and angry mob had formed around a gas station and began throwing projectiles at the military when they responded to secure order.

Having run out of fuel, electricity, food, and medicine, only to see much of their nation’s leadership board US-funded speedboats and flee the Island, Sri Lanka is in crisis. The ruling Rajapaksa dynasty engaged in devastating economic mismanagement, leaving the nation unable to purchase fuel. Although officials told citizens to not bother queuing up at gas stations because the nation was simply out of fuel, long lines at gas stations, nationwide protests, mob violence, and clashes with authorities have all become regular occurrences.

Under the current President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Defense Ministry has issued orders to the military to shoot on sight “all those who plunder public property or cause personal harm.” In the latest incident however, reports are the military merely shot into the air, and not at protesters.

Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror newspaper reported the first incident occurred when one person tried to cut in line, causing a disturbance that forced the military to fire in the air to disburse the mob.

The larger incident occurred when a man attempted to obstruct the duties of soldiers manning a fuel line, and Police attempted to arrest him. A crowd of 20-30 people gathered at an Army checkpoint demanding the man’s release, grew unruly, and attempted to assault the soldiers with bottles, at which point soldiers fired into the air. In the course of the incident, seven people, including three Army officers were injured.

The Sri Lankan Army issued a statement defending the incident, noting the shots fired into the air were necessary to disburse the “drunkards.”

The statement read, “An orchestrated attempt by an unruly mob, most of who were confirmed drunk, to provoke Army personnel manning a guard point in Vishwamadu area in Mullaittivu was thwarted by firing several warning shots to the air after those drunkards began pelting glass bottles and stones at Army personnel on duty around 8.00 pm on Saturday (18).”

Meanwhile protesters continued on Monday to demand the President resign. There were 21 arrests made, including a Buddhist monk, after a mob surrounded the Finance Ministry headquarters in the capital city of Colombo. Protesters blocked the building’s entrance with tents, preventing anyone from going in or out. Protester’s delayed a meeting scheduled that day between Finance Ministry officials and the International Monetary Fund looking for ways to alleviate the crisis.

Citizens have taken to waiting days on line at gas stations. However according to the Daily Mirror, diesel and gasoline are simply not available on the Island.

The mirror reported, ”The situation has turned murky as nobody knows when the country gets its next fuel shipment after the last ship carrying diesel under the India credit line arrived last Thursday. Although, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera yesterday said the fuel distribution would be normalised from June 23rd onwards, such statements hardly hold any weight as no new credit line for to purchase fuel is in sight.”

At least ten people have died while waiting online, many believed to have suffered heat stroke or heart failure.