COLOMBO: Sri Lankan prison guards shot dead eight inmates and wounded at least 71 others in a riot sparked by anger over rising coronavirus infections, officials said on Monday, reports AFP.
Sri Lanka’s prisons have seen weeks of unrest as the number of Covid-19 cases soared and authorities banned visits. Two inmates have died of the disease, and more than 1,200 guards and prisoners have been infected, officials say.
Inmates at the high-security Mahara jail outside Colombo fought with guards through Sunday night after setting fire to the kitchens and an administrative block, and taking two wardens hostage, residents and police said.
