Sri Lanka crisis: Protesters torch several leaders' homes, MP killed, outgoing PM Mahinda Rajapaksa evacuated by troops (VIDEO)

Colombo: The former prime minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa was evacuated by heavily armed troops from his official residence in Colombo on Tuesday after thousands of protesters broke through the main gate.

Protesters after forcing their way into the “Temple Trees” residence then attempted to storm the main two-storey building where Rajapaksa was holed up with his immediate family, but security officials fired tear gas shells and warning shots in the air to hold the marauding mob.

The former PM and his family were evacuated to safety by the army, after at least 10 petrol bombs were thrown into the compound.

Rajapaksa and his immediate family have been evacuated to an undisclosed location which follows a day of violent protests in which five people, including a lawmaker, were killed and nearly 200 others wounded.

Sri Lanka ???????? Anti Inflation, Anti Govt, Anti Everything ???????? The People throw a Former Ministers car in the river....Do Whatever you can, to disrupt their plans ???????????? pic.twitter.com/YIzUqZNlkI

— ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? (@risemelbourne) May 9, 2022

House of just-resigned PM of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa burnt down. Houses of many MPs also have been burnt down. pic.twitter.com/oq10kRoiEj

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 9, 2022

Breaking News -#Lanka burns in economic crisis fire.#srilanka #gotagogama #SriLankaCrisis #SriLankaProtests #GoHomeGota #Colombo pic.twitter.com/uN8JoHbddi

— Anil Kumar Verma (@AnilKumarVerma_) May 10, 2022

House of former health minister of Sri Lanka was set on fire.

The Future is here. pic.twitter.com/dbMoGZgb3V

— Shabnam Nafisa Kalim (@BanjaraThoughts) May 9, 2022

Dozens of homes of top Rajapaksa loyalists were torched elsewhere in the curfew-bound country, which has been under a state of emergency since Friday. (UNI)