Sri Lanka prison riot kills 26, with more than 100 others wounded

A violent clash between rival drug gangs at Sri Lanka's Negombo Prison has left 26 people dead, including seven guards, and injured more than 100 others. Officials described the incident as the country's deadliest prison riot in years, with victims suffering from gunshot wounds, cuts, and severe bruises.

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There are some victims with gunshot injuries, some with cuts and severe bruises. We transferred 18 of the more seriously wounded to the Colombo National hospital.

The fighting began Sunday evening within the prison, which houses several thousand detainees. As news of the conflict spread, female inmates in an adjacent section climbed onto a roof demanding release, leading to a partial collapse that injured some of them. Hospital director Pushpa Gamlath confirmed 23 bodies at the Negombo hospital, with many seriously wounded transferred to Colombo National hospital.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara expressed profound shock and grief, stating that authorities are working to separate the gangs. He emphasized that the identity of the deceased, whether inmates or associated with the underworld, is secondary to the fact that human lives were lost. The government has initiated a three-member investigation team, headed by a retired Supreme Court justice, to probe the riot.

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Human beings have died, and there is a deep shock regarding that. This is something that should never have occurred.

Prison spokesperson Chaminda Gajanayake confirmed that no foreign prisoners were among the casualties. The incident highlights the severe overcrowding in Sri Lanka's prison system, which held 41,250 prisoners as of Sunday, approximately four times its intended capacity. This overcrowding has been a recurring issue, contributing to past disturbances, including a riot in December 2020 that led to the release of hundreds of inmates.

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The situation got out of hand this morning