School closures have been declared in Sri Lanka due to a lack of fuel. In the first phase, a one-week shutdown has been announced from July 4.
The Ministry of Education has stated that it has decided to close all the private schools owned and operated by the government.
The decision to close the schools was taken in the belief that fuel consumption would be reduced after the schools were closed, government officials said.
The country's energy minister said on Sunday that there was only one day's supply of fuel.
Public transport has come to a standstill as the government has not been able to import fuel as the economic crisis in the country has become more complicated.
Most of the petrol pumps in Sri Lanka have long lines.
Sri Lanka had announced a two-week moratorium on fuel sales for all sectors except essential services to save petrol and diesel.
Most petrol pumps are closed, with the banks and offices expected to reopen on Monday.
Scenes of people asking for a lift to reach their destination have gone viral on social media. Privately owned buses, which serve more than two-thirds of the country's population, have been badly affected by fuel shortages.
According to Gemunu Vijeratne, chairman of the private bus operators' association, about 1,000 out of 20,000 buses have been operated.
He said that the service has been shrinking since Monday as there is no immediate solution.
In this country, which is facing the worst economic crisis due to lack of foreign exchange, 22 million people have been suffering due to the inability to support even the import of essential goods.
