Prison escape bid fail, two inmates and three jailers injured

23 January 2012 06:45 am Views - 3434

Two prisoners and three jailers were injured during an early morning escape attempt at the Galle Prison this morning. Their attempt failed when prison guards opened fire to restrict them within the prison premises.

Commissioner General of Prisons P.W. Kodippili said that three prisoners attempted to escape when their cells were unlocked around 6.30am and had gone to the ground which is in the middle of the complex.

“They had assaulted the three jailers who were on guard in Gate-1. One of them successfully took the keys to open Gate-1 and when they were running towards Gate-2, which is the exit point of the Prison Complex the three inmates were encircled and taken into custody by the prison guards,” he said.

The injured prisoners and the jailers were admitted to the Karapitiya General Hospital by the prison authorities.

It is believed that the inmates had long been planning to escape from the prison complex. The three inmates were in remand prison at the time they attempted to escape.

“I am sending an officer on behalf of the department to gather information about the escape bid made by the three inmates,” the Commissioner General said.

The chief jailer of the Galle Prison is also probing into the incident and is to submit a report to the Prisons Chief. (Supun Dias and D.G Sugathapala)