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Sri Lanka has shut down non-essential services until July 10th as the bankrupt nation's fuel supply runs dry amidst its worsening economic crisis.
Cabinet spokesperson Bandula Gunawardane announced that fuel will only be supplied to essential services such as the health, defence, power and export industries, from midnight until July 10th.
Gunawardane also said that schools in urban areas will be closed and workers have been urged to work from home in an attempt to deal with the fuel shortage.
Reuters reports that the Sri Lankan government's fuel stockpile stands at about 9,000 tonnes of diesel and 6,000 tonnes of petrol.
Earlier today, Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera left for Qatar while a high level delegation left for Russia, to secure more fuel supplies.
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka has been experiencing its worst economic crisis in recent history, causing daily power cuts and long fuel queues.
The Sri Lankan government are currently in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss a $3 billion bailout program.