Pistorius denies suicide attempt

Convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius was returned to his cell after receiving treatment for injuries sustained in a fall, prison officials said Sunday.

"The official report is that he made a call for help after falling off his bed," the correctional services department told South African media.

Another corrections official, Manelisi Wolela, said Pistorius "denied speculations of a suicide attempt."

The 29-year-old double amputee is serving a six year term in the medical wing of Pretoria's Kgosi Mampuru II prison over the Valentine's Day 2013 killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The track star's initial conviction of culpable homicide was upgraded to the more serious offense of murder last December.

He is eligible for conditional release in 2019. Prosecutors have said they plan to appeal the sentence, which they called "shockingly lenient."

Reports: Injuries intentional

The South African "City Press" newspaper reported that Pistorius had been rushed to Kalafong hospital on Saturday. It also quoted unnamed inmates and guards claiming his wounds were self-inflicted.

"We can't confirm that, it's only speculation," prison services spokesman Singabakho Nxumalo said when asked about the report.

A spokeswoman for the Pistorius family declined to comment.

The gold medal-winning Paralympian has always maintained he did not mean to kill Steenkamp, and that he mistook her for an intruder when he fired several rounds through his bathroom door.

Pistorius, known as "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fiber running blades, gained worldwide fame when he became the first amputee runner to compete against able-bodied athletes at the 2012 London Olympics.

nm/rc (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)