Sri Lanka deploys troops after prison riot

Sri Lanka has deployed thousands of troops and elite commandos to quell riots at Mahara Prison, located on the outskirts of Colombo. One inmate was killed and six others wounded in the chaos that broke out on Saturday. The prison, which houses 4,100 inmates - about four times its capacity - is notorious for overcrowding. Deputy Police Inspector-General Sanjeewa Medawatte confirmed that the situation was now under control, thanks to reinforcements from the armed forces and Special Task Force commandos.

The inmates had destroyed multiple buildings within the prison, including the kitchen, hospital, and vocational training facilities. This incident occurred just a month after another prison riot in the same region, which left 10 guards and 21 inmates dead. The unrest comes as authorities plan to convert abandoned state buildings into new prisons.

Over three-quarters of the inmates in Sri Lanka are remand prisoners, many of whom are arrested for drug-related offenses.