Tanker strike worsens fuel woes in crisis-hit Sri Lanka

Colombo: A strike by owners of fuel tankers over the weekend renewed Sri Lanka’s long queues for diesel and petrol on Monday as pumps ran dry, compounding the island nation’s economic and energy crisis.

Sri Lanka is in the grip of a pandemic-spurred economic freefall, the worst since independence from Britain in 1948, which has led to shortages of food and other essentials. The lack of fuel has been an especially large sticking point for the government, as petrol prices have increased by 90 percent while diesel -- commonly used for public transport -- has gone up by 138 percent. Fuel woes eased slightly last week as supplies arrived under a $500 million credit line from India.