Published On 7/6/2026
At least 23 people, including four guards, were killed in Sri Lanka on Monday, and more than 100 others were injured in the worst prison riots in more than five years.
Police confirmed that those injured during the riots in Negombo Prison on the outskirts of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, were transferred to Negombo Hospital, north of the capital, following night clashes between prisoners from two drug trafficking gangs.
The hospital director, Pushpa Gamalath, reported receiving more than 100 wounded prisoners and guards, some of whom had gunshot wounds.
The cause of the riot
According to authorities, the events began on Sunday evening when two groups of prisoners, described as rival drug smuggling gangs, clashed inside the facility, which houses nearly 10,000 prisoners.
A policeman told Agence France-Presse: “The situation got completely out of control, and four guards were killed while trying to control the riot.”
Police Special Forces units were called in as reinforcements but did not enter the prison campus, while many family members of prisoners gathered outside the facility.
Large crowds of prisoners’ relatives gathered outside the prison, while local residents reported hearing gunfire, while the authorities deployed drones to monitor the situation.
In December 2020, a rebellion inside a prison in Sri Lanka during the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the death of 11 people and the injury of 117 others, prompting the then government to release hundreds of prisoners.
According to official statistics, the number of prisoners in Sri Lanka reached more than 41,000 as of Sunday, equivalent to four times the prison capacity.
