Deadly Sri Lanka Prison Clash Leaves At Least 25 Dead

At least 25 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after a violent confrontation between rival groups of inmates erupted inside a major prison in Sri Lanka, marking the country’s deadliest prison violence in the past five years. Local authorities confirmed that four prison officers were among those who lost their lives.

According to police, the violence broke out on Sunday night at Negombo Prison, one of the country’s principal correctional facilities, located north of the capital, Colombo. Investigators believe the unrest stemmed from a long-running rivalry between two inmate factions allegedly linked to organised drug trafficking networks. What began as an isolated altercation rapidly escalated into a prison-wide conflict, overwhelming security personnel and plunging the facility into chaos.

Hospital officials said the injured were rushed to Negombo Hospital, where medical teams worked throughout the night to treat victims suffering from gunshot wounds as well as injuries inflicted by sharp weapons. Hospital Director Pushpa Gamlath told local media that many of the casualties had sustained severe trauma. By the time the victims reached hospital, authorities had confirmed the deaths of 23 inmates, while later official figures placed the total death toll at at least 25, including four prison officers.

Eyewitness accounts and local officials said tensions had been building inside the prison since Sunday evening. As the fighting intensified, female inmates housed in a separate section climbed onto the prison roof in a desperate attempt to escape the violence below. During the panic, part of the overcrowded roof collapsed, leaving several women injured.

Local television broadcaster Ada Derana reported that the first confrontation occurred earlier in the afternoon, when clashes between the two rival groups resulted in at least two deaths. Although the situation appeared to stabilise temporarily, violence erupted again later that evening with far greater intensity. The unrest quickly spread throughout the prison complex, making it increasingly difficult for authorities to restore order.

Police deployed a specialised commando unit on Monday in an effort to regain control of the prison. By that stage, however, the situation had become highly unstable. Family members of inmates gathered outside the facility seeking information about their relatives, while residents living nearby reported hearing sustained gunfire, explosions of violence and desperate cries throughout the night.

A senior police official said the clashes continued into Monday morning before security forces gradually brought the situation under control. Authorities have since confirmed that four prison officers were killed while responding to the unrest.

The incident has once again highlighted longstanding concerns over overcrowding in Sri Lanka’s prison system. Official figures indicate that the country’s prisons currently hold more than 41,000 inmates—almost four times their intended capacity. Such severe overcrowding has placed immense strain on prison infrastructure, staffing and security, creating conditions in which violence can escalate rapidly.

Prison reform has remained a recurring challenge for Sri Lankan authorities. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a separate prison riot claimed the lives of 11 people after unrest broke out over fears of coronavirus infections and overcrowded conditions. Although reforms were introduced following that tragedy, the latest bloodshed has renewed scrutiny of the country’s prison administration and its ability to manage increasingly overcrowded and volatile correctional facilities.

Officials have launched an investigation to determine the precise sequence of events, establish how the violence spread so extensively, and identify those responsible. Authorities are also expected to examine whether existing security measures, staffing levels and prison management practices were sufficient to prevent such a devastating incident.