Nov 11, Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities say the Ministry of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation has decided to take measures to reduce the inmate population in Sri Lanka's main Welikada prison.

The prisoner density at the overcrowded prison has been identified as one reason for the deadly results of the Friday's clash where 27 inmates have died and 43 others were injured.

However, the number of the prisoners to be reduced is yet to be decided.

Meanwhile, damages to the prison property caused by the rioting prisoners have been estimated at over ten million rupees, Sri Lanka Commissioner General of Prisons, P.W. Kodippili said.

Many buildings of the prison have been damaged in the clash, the official said. However, the record room of the prison where the documents pertaining to the cases of the prisoners is intact, he said.

A three-member committee has been appointed by the Minister of Prison Reforms and Rehabilitation to probe the worst riot in the prison since 1983 when 53 prisoners were killed in the high security prison.

Post mortems on the dead in the Friday's clash were held today and 18 of them have been identified.