Deadly Prison Riot in Sri Lanka Leaves 26 Dead and Over 100 Injured

A violent riot erupted at Negombo Prison in Sri Lanka on Monday, resulting in at least 26 deaths, including seven prison guards, and over 100 injuries. The unrest began on Sunday following a confrontation between rival drug gangs incarcerated in the facility, escalating rapidly into widespread violent clashes. Prisoners managed to seize weapons from guards, turning the conflict into armed shootouts and close combat between inmates and security forces.

Seven guards were killed during efforts to regain control, while dozens of inmates and staff suffered gunshot wounds, cuts, and severe injuries. Local hospitals treated more than 100 wounded, with 18 in critical condition transferred to the national hospital in Colombo. The violence also spread to the women's section, where inmates climbed onto the roof demanding release; part of the roof collapsed, injuring several.

Special police units, commandos, and the military were deployed to restore order, with drones and helicopters monitoring the prison. Family members of inmates gathered outside seeking information. Authorities eventually subdued the riot and relocated gang leaders to other facilities. Sri Lanka's Justice Minister, Ranjana Nanayakkara, called the incident a "tragedy that should not have happened" and announced the formation of a judicial inquiry led by a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate the causes and official response.

The riot highlights the severe overcrowding crisis in Sri Lanka's prison system, which currently holds about 41,000 inmates, four times its intended capacity. Human rights groups have long warned that overcrowding enables criminal gangs to operate within prisons and increases the risk of violent outbreaks. This is not the first deadly prison incident in recent years; in 2020, 11 inmates died and over 100 were injured in another riot during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting mass inmate releases to reduce overcrowding.