Sri Lanka Prison Riots Claim 25 Lives, Over 100 Injured

Tue Sep 29 2026 09:08:36 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Violence erupted at Negombo prison west of Colombo, leaving at least 25 dead and more than 100 wounded amid a 2‑day clash over an informant and drug trafficking.

In the coastal town of Negombo, a 48‑hour riot at a run‑down prison claimed at least 25 lives, including four guards, and left more than 100 people—prisoners, staff and medical patients—wounded. The eruption began when inmates seized firearms and clashed over a drug‑trafficking investigation, escalating into rooftop and gate‑breaking assaults that drew military support. Many injured were taken to local hospitals; the roof collapsed, injuring women in the adjoining unit. Authorities ordered inmates to be transferred to other facilities and a full investigation was ordered by the Minister of Justice. The incidents are the deadliest in Sri Lanka’s overcrowded prison system since a December 2020 outbreak.

At least 25 killed in Sri Lanka prison riots

At least 25 people have been killed — four of them guards — and more than 100 injured in prison riots in western Sri Lanka.

The two days of violence at Negombo Prison, a coastal town north of Colombo, began with clashes between two groups of inmates.

Prisoners allegedly grabbed prison guns on Sunday; two people were killed that day, with dozens injured. Later, male and female prisoners climbed the prison rooftops demanding release.

Fresh violence erupted on Monday when inmates tried to rush the prison gates. Security forces were deployed and multiple gunshots were heard from inside the prison.

The violence was reportedly triggered by a clash over an inmate informing on a drug‑trafficking operation inside.

Some wounded were taken to Negombo Hospital. The hospital director said some had bullet wounds, while others had cuts and severe bruises. Others were transported to Colombo National Hospital.

Police said part of the prison’s roof collapsed during the incident, injuring some of the women involved.

Crowds of inmates’ relatives gathered outside on Monday as the situation unfolded. Some told BBC Sinhala they had not been given information about where their relatives were, or who was alive and who had died.

A member of the army stands in front of a yellow barrier - a building with the words Sri Lanka prison is in the background.

Areas within the prison are still being cleared, and the military has been placed on standby after police requested support. Prisons commissioner media spokesman AC Gajanayake said steps had been taken to transfer inmates to other prisons.

Minister of Justice and Prisons Harshana Nanayakkara has instructed authorities to investigate and submit a report.

While riots occasionally break out in the country’s overcrowded prisons, these were the worst in years. In December 2020, 11 were killed at another facility, with 117 injured. Sri Lankan prisons held 41,250 inmates as of Sunday, which is four times their capacity, according to AFP.