State of emergency declared in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency in the South Asian country, the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday.

The police have imposed a curfew in the Western Province, including the capital Colombo, the Office said after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left the South Asian country amid an economic crisis.

Earlier in the day, the office confirmed that President Rajapaksa has left the country for the Maldives.

Rajapaksa had informed the speaker of Sri Lankan parliament that he would resign from the presidency on Wednesday. Sri Lanka this year has been suffering a severe economic crisis which has led to protests.

Sri Lanka's speaker of parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said political party leaders have decided to elect a new president on July 20 through a vote in parliament.