Mauritius closed schools in some parts of the country on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education said, following a night of unrest that began when a police officer shot a young woman.

A police sergeant has been provisionally charged in connection with the shooting of Élodie Thomas, 27, local media reported without giving details on what led to the incident.

Thomas was wounded while travelling home from work in a van in a residential area south of the capital on Friday night.

Health Minister Anil Bachoo said Thomas underwent successful surgery to remove the bullet.

Shooting under investigation

Police have not commented on the incident but have said an investigation was underway. Protesters burnt tyres and blocked roads in parts of the country on Monday night, prompting police deployments.

The disruption led to the postponement of school assessments scheduled for Tuesday, 13 October, to a later date.

All pre-primary, primary, and secondary educational institutions will remain completely closed throughout Tuesday, 13 October.

Higher education students have been instructed to transition to remote learning, with universities and tertiary institutions shifting all scheduled lectures online for the day.

The Prime Minister's Office said the situation had returned to normal and that all public sector services would operate as usual. Public unrest is rare on the Indian Ocean island. The education ministry did not say when schools would reopen, saying it would give an update later.