PORT LOUIS, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Mauritius will maintain the curfew for three more nights from Friday to Sunday, the Prime Minister's Office announced Friday.
In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said that the curfew will be in force from 10:00 p.m. local time to 4:30 a.m. local time the following morning for the three nights, with curfew hours shortened compared to previous orders.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam is scheduled to address the country Friday evening to provide an update on the current situation. The authorities remain vigilant despite a gradual return to calm in several regions, local media reported.
Mauritius has been under a nightly curfew since Tuesday, following incidents of unrest that began on Monday evening in several parts of the country. During the disturbances, individuals set fire to various objects, blocked roads, vandalized police stations and shops, and torched vehicles.
The acts of violence come amid tensions over water supply difficulties and public outrage over the shooting and injury of Elodie Thomas, a 27-year-old woman, in an incident involving a police officer on Oct. 9. According to reports, Thomas was shot without any apparent justification. ■