Protesters storm residence and office of Sri Lankan president

Protesters massed on a street leading to the president’s official residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka (Amitha Thennakoon/AP)

Sri Lankan protesters demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa have forced their way into his official residence and nearby office, as thousands of people took to the streets of the capital Colombo decrying the nation’s worst economic crisis in recent memory.

It is not clear if Mr Rajapaksa was at the residence in Colombo, but footage filmed on mobile phones showed a large number of people inside the well-fortified house and on the grounds outside.