Sri Lankan PM flies to central hills to diffuse communaltension

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse was flown to the central hilly tea plantations Thursday to diffuse overnight tension prevailed in the area, officials said.

Violence erupted at Kandapola in the central Nuwara Eliya district on Wednesday night when two groups belonging to the majority Sinhala community and the estate Tamil community clashed after a road mishap involving a bus and a taxi.

"Two people had died due to shooting and we have imposed an indefinite curfew since 10 p.m. last night." Police spokesman Rienzie Perera said.

Rajapakse's mission, the officials added, was to diffuse the tense situation prevailing at Kandapola by talking to the securityforces, religious leaders and local community leaders.

Police said that they were subject to attack by the angry rioters as they fired in the air to quell the riot.

Source: Xinhua