Overview
- Violence between two rival inmate groups at the Negombo detention facility escalated into deadly clashes that officials say left at least 25 people dead and about 100 injured.
- Authorities and a hospital worker reported the casualty figures while TV footage showed large police deployments and injured inmates being taken from the prison.
- Local reports say the fighting intensified after some inmates obtained firearms and that a dispute over alleged drug trafficking may have sparked the unrest.
- Police are combing the prison grounds for more victims and the army has been placed on standby to support the police as investigators work to confirm how weapons entered the facility.
- Sri Lanka’s prisons hold roughly 39,000 inmates in facilities built for about 10,000, a chronic overcrowding problem that raises tensions, strains staff, and complicates security and investigations.