The gory details

The gory details

Mahara Prison is a maximum security prison, and is one of the largest prisons in Sri Lanka. Situated in the old city of Mahara in the Western Province. The prison is administrated by the Department of Prisons.

Intermittent gunfire rang out on Monday at a Sri Lankan high-security prison where a riot by inmates over a surge of Covid-19 infections.

Inmates have staged protests in recent weeks demanding an increase in CV-19 testing and new isolation facilities for infected prisoners.
“They had consumed all the tablets after obtaining them from the medical storage facility at the prison hospital,” prisons commissioner Chandana Ekanayake told media on Tuesday.
The latest clash at Mahara prison situated on the outskirts of the capital Colombo started on Sunday when some inmates protested against prisoners infected by the Covid-19 virus being transferred from other facilities to Mahara.
Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana speaking News 1st said, the situation at the Mahara Prison has been totally controlled and this afternoon a special operation was conducted successfully without using any force with the participation of 600 officers of the Prison, Sri Lanka Police, and the STF.

1. 117 Injured, out of which 02 are prison officers.

2. 11 inmates reported dead.

3. Autopsies of the bodies will be conducted in due course after the magisterial inquest.

4. 35 of these prisoners were exposed to COVID-19.

5. 16 injured prisoners are in critical condition, and another 04 prisoners are in a very serious condition.

According to DIG Ajith Rohana, 80 inmates are being treated at the Ragama hospital and one remandee is being treated at the National Hospital.

24 inmates have been released from the hospital and transferred to the Colombo Remand Prison.