Sri Lanka, July 9 -- A prison officer told Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara yesterday that the Negombo prison unrest which claimed the lives of several prison officers and inmates could have been prevented had timely orders been issued to contain the situation.

The remarks were made when the Minister visited the funeral of the slain prison officers at the Welikada Prison premises yesterday. A video of the exchange has since gone viral on social media.

"It could have been nipped in the bud. Only if we had been given orders to stop the incident. Prisoners are also human," the officer is heard telling the Minister in the video.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Daily Mirror Sri Lanka....