At least 26 people have been killed and more than 100 others injured following a violent prison riot in Sri Lanka, marking the country’s deadliest prison disturbance in more than five years.
The clashes erupted overnight at Negombo Prison, north of the capital, Colombo, where rival drug gangs reportedly fought inside the overcrowded correctional facility.
Authorities said the death toll includes four prison guards who were killed while attempting to restore order.
Hospital director Pushpa Gamlath confirmed that 19 bodies were brought to the state-run Negombo Hospital, while more than 100 injured inmates and prison officers were admitted for treatment.
“There are some victims with gunshot injuries,” Gamlath told AFP.
According to police, the violence began on Sunday evening at Negombo Prison, which houses nearly 10,000 inmates despite severe overcrowding.
Police commandos were deployed to the prison complex to support security operations, although they were not immediately sent inside the facility. Authorities also used drones to monitor the situation from the air as efforts continued to restore calm.
Large crowds of worried relatives gathered outside the prison seeking information about the safety of inmates.
A police official said four prison officers were killed while trying to stop the fighting.
“Four guards were killed when they tried to break up the rioting. The situation got out of hand this morning,” the official said.
The riot has renewed concerns about overcrowding in Sri Lanka’s prison system.
Official figures show the country’s prisons held 41,250 inmates as of Sunday—around four times their intended capacity.
Sri Lanka has previously experienced deadly prison unrest. In December 2020, 11 inmates were killed and 117 others injured during riots at another prison amid the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting authorities to release hundreds of prisoners to ease overcrowding.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the latest violence as security remains heightened around Negombo Prison.
