Colombo: One inmate died and two guards were injured when a group of prisoners attempted to break out of a prison on the outskirts of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo, police said.

According to the police media division, a group of seven inmates had tried to escape from the Mahara Prison using ropes and bed sheets to scale down the prison wall early on Sunday morning, and they were spotted by prison guards, reports Xinhua news agency.

A scuffle broke out between the prison guards and prisoners which led to the guards firing in the air.

The police said one inmate and two guards were injured in the scuffle, and the injured inmate died later in a hospital.

The remaining six inmates were recaptured.

The police said an investigation has been launched into the incident (IANS)