A protest in a small Sri Lankan town that quickly turned deadly

FILE PHOTO: Shantha Wijerathne, uncle of K.D. Chaminda Lakshan, 41, who got caught up in the clash as he went to the petrol station at Rambukkana to fill his motorcycle on Tuesday amid the country's ongoing economic crisis, shows the picture of the deceased outside the morgue in Rambukkana, Sri Lanka, April 20, 2022. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar/File Photo

RAMBUKKANA, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - When K.D. Chaminda Lakshan was wheeled into the Kegalle Teaching Hospital in central Sri Lanka around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the father of two was fighting for his life.

Hours earlier, the 41-year-old had been waiting outside a filling station in the nearby town of Rambukkana, when people angered by long queues for petrol clashed with police.