Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled to Maldives on a military jet, amid mass protests over economic crisis in the country.

Rajapaksa arrived in the Maldian capital, Male early on Wednesday morning.

He had been in hiding after crowds stormed his residence on Saturday.

The president had earlier pledged to resign on Wednesday.

Sri Lankans blame President Rajapaksa’s administration for their worst economic crisis in decades.