Schools were shut and state offices worked with skeleton staffing as part of government plans to reduce commuting and save precious petrol and diesel
A closed classroom is seen at a government school in Colombo on June 20, 2022, after Sri Lanka closed schools and halted all non-essential government services during a two-week shutdown to conserve fast-depleting fuel reserves as the International Monetary Fund opened talks with Colombo on a possible bailout. Image: Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP