COLOMBO: Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose location is still unknown since the protesters overran both his office and the official residence, has ordered officials to ensure the smooth distribution of cooking gas after the fuel-starved country received 3,700 metric tonnes of LP gas, his office said on Sunday.

In recent months people have been blocking roads across the country in a desperate bid to force the government to address the issue of acute gas shortages.