A riot at a Sri Lankan prison has left 26 people dead, including seven guards, and more than 100 wounded in the country's deadliest prison violence in years, officials confirmed on Monday.
Clashes Erupt Between Rival Drug Gangs
The violence erupted overnight at Negombo prison, north of the capital Colombo, as inmates from two drug gangs fought with sharp weapons and firearms. Police said victims with cuts and gunshot injuries were rushed to Negombo hospital.
Hospital director Pushpa Gamlath reported that 23 bodies were at the state-run facility, along with over 100 wounded prisoners and guards. “There are some victims with gunshot injuries, some with cuts and severe bruises,” Gamlath told Agence France-Presse. “We transferred 18 of the more seriously wounded to the Colombo National hospital.”
Death Toll Rises; Justice Minister Expresses Shock
Justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara later stated that three more people had died, raising the toll to 26. He expressed “profound shock and grief” and said authorities were working to separate the rival gangs. “Whether they were inmates, or associated with the underworld, is not relevant to us at this moment,” Nanayakkara told reporters. “Human beings have died, and there is a deep shock regarding that. This is something that should never have occurred.”
Fighting began on Sunday evening at the prison, which houses several thousand detainees. As reports spread, female inmates in an adjoining section climbed onto a roof and demanded release. Police said part of the roof collapsed, injuring some women.
Investigation Launched; Prison Overcrowding Highlighted
The government announced a three-member team headed by a retired supreme court justice to investigate the riot. Prison spokesperson Chaminda Gajanayake said no foreign prisoners were affected, possibly referring to a 22-year-old British woman held at Negombo since May last year for possessing 46kg of kush cannabis.
Large crowds of relatives gathered outside Negombo on Monday as the air force deployed drones and a helicopter to monitor the area. Local residents reported hearing gunshots, and it was said prisoners had grabbed several guns from guards earlier in the day. Seven guards were killed while trying to break up the rioting, a police official told AFP. “The situation got out of hand this morning,” he said.
In December 2020, rioting at another Sri Lankan prison killed 11 prisoners and wounded 117 during the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to the release of hundreds of inmates. Official data shows prisons across Sri Lanka held 41,250 prisoners as of Sunday, about four times their capacity.
