25 Dead in Prison Riot in Sri Lanka

At least 25 inmates and prison guards were killed and more than 75 others injured in a riot at the high-security Negombo Prison near Colombo, marking one of the deadliest outbreaks of prison violence in Sri Lanka.

Hospital officials said nearly 100 additional inmates were admitted for treatment, with some victims suffering gunshot wounds.

Authorities said the unrest erupted on Sunday after clashes broke out between two rival prison gangs allegedly involved in drug trafficking inside the facility, which houses nearly 10,000 inmates.

Four prison guards were killed while trying to contain the violence, while several prisoners were injured after part of the prison rooftop collapsed as inmates gathered there during the disturbance.

Special police units were deployed to the area, although they did not enter the prison compound, as relatives of inmates gathered outside the facility.

The riot comes amid chronic overcrowding in Sri Lanka's prison system. Official figures show the country's inmate population stood at 41,250 as of Sunday, roughly four times the capacity of its prisons.

In 2020, a prison uprising during the COVID-19 pandemic left 11 people dead and 117 injured, prompting the government to release hundreds of inmates.