Sources told the BBC that Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had left the Maldives on a Saudi Airlines flight bound for Singapore.
The President had fled to the Maldives a day earlier amid massive protests over Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. It is unclear whether Mr Rajapaksa will stay in Singapore or use it as a layover destination.
He had promised to resign by Wednesday but failed to make a formal resignation.
The leader, exempt from prosecution as president, is believed to have wanted to flee abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new administration.
Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe imposed a curfew for the second day on Thursday. His government ordered a curfew from noon (06:30 GMT) to 05:00 on Friday to quell the protests.
Wickremesinghe was appointed acting president after President Rajapaksa fled – but the decision sparked further protests and calls for his resignation. On Wednesday, one person was killed, and 84 others were injured in protests at significant sites in the capital Colombo, including the Prime Minister’s Office.
Major demonstrations over the country’s economic crisis have sparked protests in the past week since April when protesters ransacked the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday and set the prime minister’s private home on fire.
On Wednesday, police fired tear gas at protesters who attempted to breach the prime minister’s office gate in Colombo and made their way towards Parliament before finally going inside.
Sri Lanka has seen its economy crumbling and the cost of food, fuel and other essential supplies for ordinary people skyrocketing.
Many blame the Rajapaksa administration for handling the crisis and see Mr Wickremesinghe, who became prime minister in May, as part of the problem. The president’s departure threatens power in Sri Lanka, which needs a functioning government to help pull it out of financial ruin.
Politicians from other parties are talking about forming a new unity government, but there is no sign that they are close to an agreement yet. It is also not clear whether the public will accept whatever they bring.