In brief
Violence erupted at Negombo Prison in Sri Lanka, killing 26 people and leaving more than 100 injured over two days. The clashes began when inmates fought over a drug‑trafficking informant and escalated as prisoners seized guards’ firearms and attempted to breach the facility’s gates. Both male inmates and women from a nearby unit climbed onto the prison roof demanding release, while a roof collapse added to the casualties. Authorities deployed military support and began relocating inmates to other facilities amid ongoing investigations. The incident highlights chronic overcrowding, with the prison holding four times its capacity and the nation’s prisons experiencing frequent unrest.
The two‑day outbreak of violence at Negombo Prison, a coastal facility north of Colombo, left 26 people dead—seven of them guards—while more than 100 others sustained injuries. The unrest began when inmates clashed over a drug‑trafficking informant, with prisoners allegedly grabbing guards’ firearms on Sunday, killing two and injuring dozens.
Later, male prisoners and women from an adjoining unit climbed onto the prison roof demanding release, while a collapse there added injuries. On Monday, inmates attempted to breach the gates, prompting a response from security forces and multiple gunshots fired inside.
Treatments are underway for 23 prison officers and 54 inmates, some transported to Negombo Hospital and others to Colombo National Hospital. The police report that part of the prison roof collapsed, injuring several women.
Maintaining families outside the prison expressed frustration over lack of updates on the whereabouts and condition of their relatives. Military support was brought in after police requested aid, and the prison commissioner has begun transferring inmates to other facilities. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara ordered a full investigation and report. Sri Lanka’s prisons hold 41,250 inmates—four times their capacity—making overcrowding a perennial issue.
