One dies in prison brawl

Suraj A. Bandara

A new Magazine Prison inmate died following a clash between two rival groups of prisoners yesterday evening, the Prison authorities said.

A violent clash had broken out between two groups over a longstanding dispute. After some heated argument, a prisoner had stabbed a fellow prisoner with a hook of a basket.

All other inmates were watching the incident while one had intervened to settle the dispute and was stabbed. The victim was rushed to the Colombo National Hospital by Prison authorities but succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment, a spokesman for the New Magazine Prison said.

He said though security had been tightened inside the prisons, the clash broke out before prison guards had time to intervene. After the incident, Commissioner General of Prisons Major General VR de Silva had ordered new security measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.

The situation in the Prisons has been brought under control. Borella Police is investigating.