Key facts
- The death toll from a riot at Sri Lanka's Negombo prison has risen to 26, including seven prison officials and 19 inmates.
- The violence began Sunday between rival drug gangs and escalated on Monday.
- Seventy-seven people remain hospitalized with injuries.
- Three separate investigations into the incident are underway, including one led by a retired judge.
- Sri Lankan prisons are severely overcrowded, holding over 39,000 inmates in facilities with a capacity for 10,000.
The death toll from a violent clash at the Negombo prison in Sri Lanka has risen to 26, including seven prison officials and 19 inmates, according to authorities. The unrest, which began Sunday between rival drug gangs, escalated on Monday when inmates attacked guards who intervened. Officials reported that inmates attempted to breach the main gate but were stopped.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara described the incident as "tragic" and announced that 77 individuals, comprising 23 prison officials and 54 inmates, are currently receiving hospital treatment. Three separate investigations have been launched to determine the causes of the violence, including potential security lapses and prison congestion. A committee led by a retired judge will supplement police and internal prison department inquiries.
Local television footage showed hundreds of relatives gathered outside the prison and hospital seeking information, with heightened security including army troops and armed tanks deployed around the facility. Sri Lankan prisons are severely overcrowded, housing over 39,000 inmates against a total capacity of 10,000.