According to Reuters reports on July 6 local time, the Sri Lankan government stated that a two-day conflict broke out between hostile groups of prisoners in a prison in the country. Despite efforts by security personnel to control the situation, the incident resulted in 25 deaths and approximately 100 injuries. It is reported that this is the most deadly incident of its kind in recent years.
According to reports, the conflict began on July 5. It took place in a prison in the coastal town of Negombo, about 35 kilometers north of the commercial capital Colombo. The conflicting parties consisted of convicted long-term inmates and temporarily detained individuals.
According to data from the prison department, the prison has detained approximately 2,400 prisoners.
On July 5th, conflicts led to the death of 2 prisoners and injuries to 38 prisoners. However, on the morning of July 6th, a second, even more severe conflict broke out within the prison, resulting in the death of another 23 people, including 6 prison staff members.
After the incident, riot police equipped with batons and special forces rushed to the scene to quell the disturbance. A police bus transported the injured prisoners to the hospital, with some of the injured people even lying directly on the floor of the bus. Officials stated that the cleaning work inside the prison is still ongoing.
According to reports, in Sri Lanka, previous incidents of prison violence include a riot in November 2020, which resulted in the death of 11 prisoners. Additionally, a riot occurred in a prison in Colombo in 2012, during which up to 27 people were killed.
