France, July 9 -- Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his official residence in Colombo Saturday, according todefence sources, asprotesters stormed his compound to demandhis resignation.Earlier, the government declared bankruptcy amid the country'sworst food and fuel crisis since independence in 1948.

"The president was escorted to safety," a militarysource told AFP, adding that troops fired in the air to prevent angry crowds from overrunning the President's Palace.

Thousands of peoplehad poured into the capital Colombo for the latest demonstration, sparked by the island nation's unprecedented economic crisis.

Police had withdrawn a curfew order issued on Friday after opposition parties, rights activists and the bar associati...