May 10, Colombo: Ten detainees and several prison guards have been hospitalized after a prison bus transporting inmates who being rehabilitated from Colombo to Watareka Prison was attacked by a mob in the Thalahena area in Malabe yesterday (09), the Prison department said.

According to the Prisons Department, another 58 inmates in the bus during the unrest have escaped.

The Prison buses have come under attack while they were bringing back in the evening about 30 detainees assigned to Kollupititya Silk Institute and 105 detainees assigned to the Iconic Institute in Rajagiriya and the Maga Institute in Battaramulla under a work relief program.

Prison buses were attacked by rioters in the Thalahena area as the prisoners were being brought back to the Watareka prison after a curfew was imposed in the country last evening.

Prisons Commissioner General Thushara Upuldeniya said in a statement that the prisoners and prison officials were injured when the panicked and frightened detainees got off the buses.

The statement said that some social media reports which said that the prisoners had been used for rioting in the country were completely untrue.

The Commissioner emphasized that these prisoners under the care of prison officials have contributed to the program of converting prisoners into skilled workers during the prison rehabilitation process and they were not involved in any of the riots in the country.

Mr. Upuldeniya also requested the public if they have any information regarding the 58 prisoners who have escaped from prison custody to report it to the Prisons Department or the nearest police station without any harm to the inmates.