Sri Lanka's military opened fire to contain rioting at a fuel station, officials said Sunday as unprecedented queues for gasoline and diesel were seen across the bankrupt country, AFP reported.

Troops fired in Visuvamadu, 365 kilometers north of the capital Colombo, on Saturday night as their guard point was pelted with stones, army spokesman Nilantha Premaratne said.

Police said four civilians and three soldiers were wounded when the army opened fire for the first time to quell unrest.

As the pump ran out of gasoline, motorists began to protest, and the situation escalated into a clash with troops, police said.

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since independence.

The nation's 22 million population has been enduring acute shortages and long queues for scarce supplies while President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has for months resisted calls to step down over mismanagement.