A prison inmate and a man detained in connection with a killing and three other cases were reported to have escaped from the Welikada Prisons today while under treatment at the prison hospital’s psychiatric ward.

Prison media spokesman T.N. Upuldeniya said one of the escapees was a resident of Homagama while the other was a resident of Embilipitiya.

He said the escapees had used a wooden table to scale the prison wall.

A search operation has been launched by the Prisons Department. (Darshana Sanjeewa)