As Sri Lankan protestors overtake President Rajapaksa's official residence, here's a timeline of the chaos

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of angry people gathered in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, calling for the government to accept responsibility for the country's dire state. Faced with an angry mob, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to tender his resignation. Firstin line to succeed him, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also declared his willingness to resign in order to create a unity government. This marked the conclusion of months of anti-government demonstrations sparked by a severe economic crisis that bankrupted the island nation in South Asia and rage over the corruption of the governing Rajapaksa clan.For months the 22 million people island nation has seen its worst economic crisis on record, with months-long blackouts, severe food and fuel shortages, and soaring inflation.

Here is a recap of how the crisis developed:

April 1: After a wave of protests, Rajapaksa proclaims a brief state of emergency, allowing security personnel broad authority to detain and arrest suspects.

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April 3: At a late-night meeting, almost the entire cabinet of Sri Lanka resigns, leaving Rajapaksa and his brother Mahinda, the prime minister, isolated.

After resisting calls to request a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the governor of the central bank announces his resignation the next day.

April 5: Ali Sabry, the finance minister, steps down just one day after being appointed.

As former allies call for Rajapaksa to resign, the embattled leader loses his parliamentary majority. He lifts the state of emergency.

April 10: Doctors in Sri Lanka claim to be running out on life-saving medications and issue a dire warning that the crisis may kill more people than the coronavirus pandemic.

April 12: After running out of foreign currency, as a "last resort," the government declares default on its $51 billion in international debt to acquire critically needed products.

April 19: A demonstrator is killed by police, the first casualty of several weeks of anti-government unrest.

The IMF asserts the next day that before a rescue package can be agreed upon, Sri Lanka must restructure its enormous external debt.

May 9: Peaceful demonstrators camped outside the president's beachside office in Colombo are attacked by a mob of government supporters who have been bussed in from the countryside.

In the retaliatory attacks that follow, nine people are killed and hundreds more are hurt.

After tens of thousands of demonstrators surrounded his Colombo home, Mahinda Rajapaksa isforced to quit as prime minister andRanil Wickremesinghe takes his place.

May 10: Anyone engaged in looting or "causing harm to life" to be shot at sight, ordersdefence ministry.Despite a new government curfew, which is lifted at the end of the week, protesters continue to demonstrate.

June 10: The UN warns that millions of people in Sri Lanka arealready in need of assistance due to adire humanitarian crisis.

June 27: The government says Sri Lanka is nearly out of fuel and halts all petrol sales except for essential services.

July 1: A day after the IMF asks Sri Lanka to rein in high prices and galloping inflation, the governmentreleases data indicating inflation has reached a record high for the ninth consecutive month.

July 9: Shortly before protesters attack the property, President Rajapaksa escapes his official residence in Colombo with the aid of troops. He is then transferred to an undisclosed location offshore.

The home of Wickremesinghe is set on fire.

Mahinda Abeywardana, the speaker of the parliament, makes a televised address after Rajapaksa later agrees to resign on July 13. Wickremesinghe also offers his resignation.

July 10:Calm has since returned to Colombo, the country's commercial centre, but the scene at the presidential palace, which had been overtaken gets chaotic. Videos of people enjoying Rajapaksa's pool, and gym, and using hisbed for wrestling have surfaced.

July 11: The day after the Sri Lankan President and the Prime minister announced their resignations, leaving the country in political limbo, protest leaders in Sri Lanka vowed that they would occupy the president's and prime minister's homes until they formally resigned.

(With inputs from agencies)

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