Sri Lanka left with fuel stocks for around five days, minister says

FILE PHOTO: Vehicles queue to buy petrol at a fuel station in Gonapola town, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

COLOMBO (Reuters) -Sri Lanka's fuel stocks will last for about five more days, its power and energy minister said on Thursday, as the island nation awaits official confirmation from the Indian government for a new $500 million credit line for fuel.

The country of 22 million people is caught in its worst financial crisis in seven decades after its foreign exchange reserves dwindled to record lows, with dollars running out to pay for essential imports including food, medicine and fuel.