Cars queuing for petrol at a gas station in Colombo, Sri Lanka. File photoMOSCOW, July 22Two people died in queues for fuel in Sri Lanka, writes the local news portal NewsWire.Last Sunday, Sri Lankan authorities began distributing fuel at gas stations using special QR codes . Owners of private cars were allowed to fill up only twice a week on days determined by the last digit of the code. At the same time, only one car is allowed to be registered in this way. According to NewsWire, one of the deceased died in a stampede in the village of Matugama in the Western province of the state, and another while waiting for his turn in the city of Kinnia in the Eastern province. Sri Lanka is experiencing the most difficult economic crisis since the country gained independence in 1948. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the tourism sector, a key source of foreign exchange, leaving Sri Lanka unable to buy enough fuel. There is a shortage of food, basic necessities, medicines and gas in the country. Many parts of Sri Lanka are facing constant power outages due to lack of fuel. At the same time, the external debt of the island nation is estimated at $51 billion.
