Rajapaksa flees to naval base

Colombo: Sri Lanka's former PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family have taken shelter at a naval base in Trincomalee in the north-east part of the island nation, as violent protests continue amid the country's worst-ever economic crisis.

The former PM and his family were flown in a helicopter to the naval base, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

They said the protests have broken out outside the naval base too, some 270 km from the capital Colombo.

Sri Lanka deployed thousands of troops and police to enforce a curfew after eight people were killed in the worst violence in weeks of protests over the unprecedented economic crisis.