Sri Lanka coronavirus prison riot leaves eight dead, over 50 wounded

Family members of inmates react outside the prison, following unrest at Mahara Prison, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka November 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

COLOMBO (Reuters) - At least eight prisoners were killed and more than 50 injured in clashes with guards at a Sri Lankan prison, officials said on Monday, as authorities tried to quell a protest over rising corornavirus infections in the country's crowded jails.

Sri Lanka has witnessed an upsurge in coronavirus cases in the past month and over-congested prisons across the country have reported thousands of fresh infections.