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Riots at Sri Lanka's prison leaves at least 8 dead, over 50 injured

Tuesday, 01 December 2020 12:35 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 01 December 2020 12:35 AM ]

An ambulance rushes at Mahara jail on the outskirts of Colombo on November 30, 2020 a day after a prison riot over the surge of coronavirus infections. (Photo by AFP)

At least eight prisoners were killed and over 50 were injured from clashes at a prison in Sri Lanka, officials said on Monday (November 30) as first responders rushed to the site in attempts to quell violence triggered by pandemic-related distress in an overcrowded prison.

Unrest had been growing in some of Sri Lanka's prisons with inmates staging protests against police in recent weeks as they demanded an increase in coronavirus testing and new isolation facilities for infected prisoners.

The latest clashes at Mahara prison, about 15 kilometers (10 miles) north of capital city Colombo started on Sunday (November 29) when some inmates protested against prisoners infected by the pandemic virus being transferred from other prisons to the same jail campus.

Hundreds of additional police were deployed to help the guards and strengthen security at all prisons. Sri Lanka had witnessed an upsurge in the disease since last month and over-congested prisons across the country have reported thousands of fresh infections.

(Source: Reuters)

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