At least 19 killed, over 100 injured as rival drug gangs clash in Sri Lanka prison
Violence erupted Sunday evening at Negombo prison, north of Colombo, when two groups of inmates clashed, leaving at least 19 dead and more than 100 wounded.
What happened
Clashes broke out on Sunday evening between two groups of prisoners at the Negombo prison, about 35 km north of the capital Colombo. The violence continued into Monday, with local media showing injured inmates being loaded onto buses bound for hospitals. The Sri Lankan military was placed on standby outside the facility, ready to assist police if needed.
The situation got completely out of control.
Casualties
Hospital director Pushpa Gamlath told AFP that the bodies of four prison guards and 15 inmates had been received at Negombo hospital, and more than 100 wounded inmates were admitted. Some of the injured had gunshot wounds. Two police sources and one hospital source told Reuters that 25 people were killed and about 100 injured, a higher toll than the 19 confirmed by the hospital director. The discrepancy has not been reconciled.
We have received the bodies of four prison guards and 15 inmates.
Cause and context
The two groups involved are described by investigators as rival gangs involved in drug trafficking. The Negombo prison holds around 10,000 inmates. Sri Lanka's prison system houses approximately 41,200 people, nearly four times its designed capacity, a chronic overcrowding problem that has long been cited as a factor in prison violence.
Response
Police special intervention units were deployed but did not enter the prison compound, outside which families of inmates had gathered. The military remained on standby. The incident recalls a December 2020 prison rebellion during the coronavirus pandemic that left 11 dead and 117 injured, prompting the government to release hundreds of detainees.
