Over 500 escape from rehabilitation center in Sri Lanka

29/6/2022 19:38

        More than 500 inmates have escaped from a heavily guarded drug rehabilitation center Wednesday in northern Sri Lanka after a suspicious death led to a breakout of violence.
        
        The Kandakadu rehabilitation center, about 250 kilometers northeast of the capital Colombo, mainly treats prisoners convicted of drug-related crimes. Nearly 1,000 people were undergoing rehabilitation at the center, which is guarded by army troops.
        
        Police said, a team of police officers were at the center to investigate the death when inmates started to get violent, broke the security fence and escaped, adding that the search has begun to catch the escapees.
        
        Illegal drug use has become a menace in Sri Lanka where officials say some 300,000 people — around 1.5% of all Sri Lankans — are addicted to drugs.