by Our Correspondent in Colombo
At least 26 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after two consecutive days of violence at Negombo Prison in western Sri Lanka, where renewed clashes erupted on Monday morning following earlier unrest on Sunday that authorities had said was brought under control overnight.
The latest escalation unfolded inside the prison in Negombo, a coastal city north of Colombo, as continuous gunfire was reported from within the facility. A BBC Sinhala correspondent at the scene said police riot control units and the Special Task Force, a specialist tactical unit of the Sri Lankan police, were deployed to the prison gate as the situation deteriorated. Injured inmates and prison officers were seen being taken out of the compound while emergency teams transported casualties to hospital.
The Director of Negombo District Hospital confirmed that the death toll rose steadily as patients arrived throughout the morning. Initial reports indicated five deaths, including three prison officers and two inmates, before the number later increased to 26. Hospital authorities said more than 50 injured people had been admitted for treatment, with additional casualties still expected. Officials also confirmed that some of the deceased and injured had sustained gunshot wounds.
The violence on Monday followed a volatile day of unrest on Sunday, when clashes first broke out inside the overcrowded prison. Authorities had said the situation had been contained by midnight after police, the Special Task Force, and the army were deployed to restore order. However, the following morning brought renewed unrest, overturning earlier assurances that stability had been restored.
On Sunday, reports from the prison described clashes between groups of inmates, protests on prison rooftops, and injuries linked to structural collapse during demonstrations. Two inmates were killed and more than 30 people were injured during that initial wave of violence. Prison officials later stated that the situation had been brought under control, although tensions remained high within the facility.
On Monday morning, the situation escalated again. Police said the latest violence began after a group of inmates allegedly carried out what they described as an organised attack inside the prison. Security forces subsequently opened fire in an attempt to regain control of the facility.
Acting Commissioner General of Prisons Prasad Hemantha said on Sunday morning that the earlier unrest had been resolved and initially reported that two people had died and 39 had been hospitalised. He said preliminary assessments suggested the clashes were the result of disputes among inmates rather than involving prison officers. Authorities also stated that investigations were underway into damage caused to prison property.
Separate accounts indicated that the initial unrest may have been linked to an alleged drug-related incident inside the prison. Negombo Prison, which houses more than 1,800 short-term prisoners and remand detainees awaiting court proceedings, has faced longstanding concerns over overcrowding and conditions. According to the chairman of the Prisoners’ Rights Protection Committee, the facility, built for roughly 600 to 650 inmates, is currently holding around 2,600 people, with limited sanitation facilities for the population.
As violence intensified on Monday, families of inmates gathered outside the prison in large numbers, seeking information about their relatives. Police were deployed to manage the crowds as tensions rose between officers and family members who attempted to approach the facility. Many relatives reported receiving no official updates and were directed instead to hospitals for information about casualties.
One woman at the scene appealed for basic information about her family members, reflecting widespread uncertainty among those waiting outside the prison gates. Prisoners’ rights representatives said families had struggled to obtain confirmation about the status of inmates since the violence began, with some groups dispersed by police during Sunday night’s gathering.
Sri Lanka’s Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, said an official investigation into the incidents was underway and that a report was expected following the events.
Security operations continued throughout Monday as officers worked to stabilise the situation inside the prison. Gunfire was still reported at intervals as authorities attempted to regain full control of the facility following the renewed outbreak of violence.
With at least 26 people dead and dozens injured across two days of unrest, the situation at Negombo Prison remains under investigation as authorities seek to determine the sequence of events that led to one of the most serious prison disturbances in the country in recent years.
