Unrest reported inside Sri Lanka’s Mahara Prison
Unrest has reportedly broken out inside Mahara Prison in Sri Lanka, prompting the deployment of special police teams to investigate the situation.
Sri Lanka Police said several special teams have been sent to the prison to examine the circumstances surrounding the unrest.
Police officers and personnel from the Police Special Task Force have also been deployed to strengthen security around the prison.
Further details about the cause of the unrest or the situation inside the prison have not yet been released.
UPDATE – 06:30 PM:
A fire has broken out inside Mahara Prison following a dispute between inmates and prison officers, with several people reportedly injured.
Prison sources said inmates had set fire to the Chief Jailer’s office and the prison’s Disciplinary Division. Steps have been taken to extinguish the fire and bring the situation under control.
Additional prison officers have been called in, while Police and Special Task Force personnel remain deployed outside the prison.
Relatives who arrived to visit inmates were not allowed to enter and remain outside the prison. Some relatives told the media that they heard several gunshots from inside.
The Prisons Department has not yet issued a detailed official statement on the incident.
UPDATE – 07:05 PM:
One inmate injured in the unrest at Mahara Prison has died.
Seven injured inmates were admitted to the Ragama Teaching Hospital following the incident. One of them later died.
