Chaos erupted on the evening of 5/7, when inmates from two drug gangs clashed at Negombo prison, located about 35 km north of the capital Colombo. The altercations continued today, escalating into a full-scale riot as prisoners seized weapons from guards.

"4 guards died attempting to quell the riot", a police official stated, adding, "The situation spiraled out of control this morning".

As news of the riot spread, female inmates in an adjacent section climbed onto the roof, demanding their release. Authorities reported that the weight caused a section of the prison roof to collapse, injuring several women.

A special task force was deployed to the prison today but has not yet stormed the facility. Officials confirmed that at least 25 individuals, including guards and prisoners, have died.

Sri Lanka Special Task Force (STF) guards outside Negombo prison on 6/7. *Photo: AFP*.

Numerous relatives of inmates gathered outside the prison, while the air force deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and helicopters to monitor the area.

Local residents reported hearing multiple gunshots from inside the prison. Brigadier General Waruna Gamage, a spokesperson for the Sri Lankan military, stated they received a request for police assistance but have not yet initiated an intervention.

Pushpa Gamlath, director of the nearby Negombo hospital, reported that her facility admitted over 100 injured prisoners and guards. "Some victims sustained gunshot wounds, while others had severe stab wounds and bruises", she said.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara expressed "shock and sorrow", adding that officials are working to separate the rival gangs within the prison.

Relatives of a victim killed in the riot mourn outside Negombo prison on 6/7. *Photo: AFP*.

"Whether they are prisoners or from the underworld is not important to us right now", he told reporters in Colombo. "People have died, and that is a major shock. This should never have been allowed to happen".

Prison spokesperson Chaminda Gajanayake reported that some prisoners attempted to escape this morning, while others clashed with guards during breakfast.

"They rushed directly towards the main gate, but we managed to stop them in time", he stated.

This marks the deadliest prison riot in Sri Lanka in the past 5 years.

Location of Negombo city. *Graphic: Worldatlas*.

Negombo prison houses several thousand inmates. In 12/2020, a riot at another Sri Lankan prison resulted in 11 inmate deaths and 117 injuries at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, the Sri Lankan government released hundreds of prisoners from overcrowded facilities.

Data indicates that as of 5/7, prisons across Sri Lanka held 41,250 inmates, exceeding their capacity by approximately 4 times.

By Vu Hoang (According to AFP, Reuters)