Imphal, May 24: Altogether 39 prisoners were wounded and a housing sector was partially burnt when a riot broke out among the inmates of Sajiwa Jail in Imphal East this afternoon.

Of the 39 wounded, the condition of three — who received injuries on the head — was serious, doctors at Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital said. The rest sustained fractures and minor injuries.

The riot broke out around 2.30pm today when a group of prisoners armed with sticks and other weapons attacked Sector One, beating the inmates and destroying furniture and television sets. The rioters also doused some housing quarters with petrol and set it ablaze. The inmates of Sector One retaliated, leading to a clash between the two groups of prisoners.

The incident took the jail authorities completely by surprise. The jail officials and armed guards intervened but could bring the situation under control only after an hour. Three fire tenders were pressed into service.

Some of the injured prisoners who are being treated at Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital said tension was brewing in the jail since Wednesday, when one of the inmates, Th. Nando, allegedly misbehaved with a female visitor.

The Sajiwa Jail Committee, made up of prisoners, barred Nando from meeting visitors for 15 days after an inmate filed a complaint. When Nando tried to meet visitors this morning, some prisoners objected and beat up Nando.

Later in the afternoon, a group of inmates from other sectors attacked Sector One, where militants were housed, triggering the riot.

The director general of jail administration, A.K. Parashar, visited Sajiwa and inspected the damages.