A violent confrontation inside a high-security prison in Sri Lanka has left at least 25 inmates dead and more than 100 others injured, according to local authorities and hospital officials. The incident, described by officials as one of the most severe prison disturbances in recent years, also claimed the lives of four prison officers.
The clash erupted at the main prison facility in the Negombo area, north of Colombo, during Sunday evening. Authorities said the violence involved two rival groups believed to be linked to organised drug networks operating within the prison system. What began as a confrontation inside the facility quickly escalated into a prolonged and deadly outbreak of violence overnight.
Hospital sources confirmed the scale of the casualties. The director of Negombo Hospital reported that dozens of the injured were brought in with gunshot wounds and injuries consistent with sharp weapons. Several of them were declared dead upon arrival, while others remain in critical condition under intensive care.
Eyewitness accounts and local reports suggest that tension had been building earlier in the day, with the first fatalities occurring around midday before violence flared again in the evening. By nightfall, the situation had deteriorated significantly, with reports of gunfire and chaotic scenes spreading throughout the prison compound.
Panic inside the facility was not confined to the main blocks. Female inmates reportedly climbed onto rooftops in an attempt to escape the escalating unrest, calling for help as the situation worsened. However, overcrowding in parts of the structure led to structural strain, and a section of the roof collapsed, leaving several female prisoners injured.
As the crisis intensified, police commandos were deployed on Monday morning in an effort to regain control. Security forces moved into the prison after officials concluded that internal measures were insufficient to contain the violence. Outside the facility, anxious relatives of inmates gathered in large numbers, seeking information about their loved ones as reports of casualties continued to emerge.
Local residents living near the prison described hearing sustained gunfire and commotion throughout the night. A senior police officer acknowledged that the violence spiralled beyond control during the early hours of Monday before security reinforcements were able to stabilise the situation.
The incident has reignited concerns over overcrowding and gang influence within Sri Lanka’s prison system. As of Sunday, prisons across the country were holding approximately 41,250 inmates, a figure estimated to be nearly four times their intended capacity. Authorities have previously warned that such overcrowding creates conditions where criminal networks can operate more freely and tensions can escalate rapidly.
Sri Lanka has witnessed deadly prison unrest before. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a similar outbreak of violence at another facility left 11 inmates dead. That incident prompted the government to release several hundred prisoners in an attempt to ease overcrowding, though the latest tragedy suggests that deeper systemic issues remain unresolved.
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