Sri Lanka has started imposing 10-hour power cuts across the country to cope with severe energy shortages amid the worst economic crisis in decades. The war in Ukraine is adding to the uncertainty.

The authorities had been imposing blackouts in most areas since February. But the ones on Wednesday were much longer than the previous ones.

Sri Lanka is at risk of running out of hydro-electric power, as its reservoirs are dangerously low. The country has been unable to import enough fuel for power stations because of a lack of foreign exchange.

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the nation's finances, as tourism revenue fell by nearly half last year, to about 2.7 billion dollars.
Global oil prices had already been high, and have jumped even more since the Russian invasion.

For weeks, residents have been waiting in long queues for petrol, diesel and cooking gas. The economic crisis has also caused prices of many other goods to rise, making life harder for many people.