7 November 2022 09:17 am
Police and Army are deployed to control the tense situation reported between two groups at the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre after the inmates tried to take the weapons by breaking into the arsenal.
The situation spilt out of control following an argument between two groups over a water bucket last night and later it escalated into major chaos.
The inmates came to the armoury of the Army Artillery Brigade inside the rehabilitation camp and tried to take the weapons from there. The soldiers immediately fired warning shots in the air and took control of the situation, and then all the weapons were taken away by the army.
The inmates turned violent and broke the doors of the warehouse inside the rehabilitation camp, taking axes and machetes and setting fire to the two stores inside the camp.
It was reported that several persons including a nurse and an army soldier have been admitted to Polonnaruwa Hospital.
Army said about 150 detainees who came under attack have fled the centre. They arrived at the roadblock temporarily placed by the army on the Somavathiya Kandakadu road.
Also, about 100 inmates who were being assaulted in the rehabilitation camp were taken out of the camp with the intervention of the army.
The inmates had also broken into the ration store belonging to the Artillery Brigade in the camp and misused the food there.
More than 500 inmates are being rehabilitated in the camp.(DSB)