Colombo: At least one man was killed today (Apr 28, 2004) and several others seriously wounded in violent clashes in Central Sri Lanka, where there is a large concentration of Tamils of recent Indian origin, police said.

Army troops were rushed to reinforce police and bring the situation under control at the town of Kandapola, in the tea-growing Nuwara Eliya district, this evening after minor clashes erupted into a major violence.

Residents and police said a traffic accident had sparked the tension but it later degenerated into a clash between two groups in the town. Several shops were looted and set on fire.

The identity of the victim was not immediately known. Some residents placed the death toll at three while local police said only one man had been killed.

The area is dominated by members of the Indian Tamil community working in tea gardens while there is a smaller number of Sinhalese, the national majority, living in the town area.