Key facts
- Clashes between inmates from two drug gangs occurred at Negombo prison in Sri Lanka.
- The violence resulted in at least 19 deaths and over 100 injuries.
- Four guards were among the fatalities.
- The riot is the worst in Sri Lanka in over five years.
At least 19 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in a Sri Lankan prison riot, officials said Monday, in the worst such incident in over five years. The violence erupted Sunday evening at Negombo prison, north of the capital Colombo, following overnight clashes between inmates from two drug gangs. Hospital director Pushpa Gamlath confirmed 19 bodies were brought to her facility, with over 100 inmates and guards admitted for injuries, some from gunshot wounds. Four guards were killed when they attempted to intervene in the rioting. Police commandos were called to the scene, and drones were deployed to monitor the situation, as crowds of relatives gathered outside the prison. In December 2020, a riot at another Sri Lankan prison killed 11 inmates and wounded 117 during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the government to release hundreds of prisoners from overcrowded facilities. Official data indicates that prisons across Sri Lanka are holding approximately 41,250 inmates, about four times their intended capacity.