Prisoner dies after falling into steaming chicken curry

A prisoner at Agunakolapalassa prison who was sentenced to death in 2001 after being convicted of a murder, has died after 10 days in hospital due to burn injuries, Prison spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said.

He said the prisoner was sentenced to 25 years and was supposed to be released in the year 2028 with all pardons.

The prison superintendent of Agunakolapalassa prison had employed the prisoner to work in the kitchen.

He was admitted to the Tangalle Hospital after he accidentally fell backwards into a chicken curry while taking another curry off the stove with a fellow prisoner on September 26. His foot had slipped and as a result he had accidentally fallen backwards into the chicken curry.

This prisoner who was receiving treatment at Tangalle hospital died on Thursday while receiving treatment there for 10 days.

Special investigation was also launched into the incident and it was revealed that the death was due to an accident that occurred while working in the prison kitchen, the spokesman said.