A Prison Riot in Sri Lanka Claimed the Lives of at Least 23 Persons

More than one hundred people have been injured and at least twenty-three people have been killed in the most violent jail riot in Sri Lanka in more than five years. After a series of violent confrontations between competing drug gangs that spiraled out of hand, the violence broke out overnight at Negombo Prison, which is located north of the capital city of Colombo.

There are four jail guards who were slain while attempting to put an end to the fighting, and they are among the deceased. As a result of the deployment of police and military troops to secure the prison, hospital officials have reported that a significant number of the injured individuals suffered from gunshot wounds, cuts, and serious bruising.

A women’s wing was also affected by the unrest, and inmates there went onto the roof to demand that they be released from their confinement. After some time, part of the roof collapsed, injuring other ladies.

The riot has once again brought to light the chronic overcrowding that exists within Sri Lanka’s prisons. More than 41,000 people are currently being held in the nation’s correctional facilities, which is approximately four times the capacity that was originally planned for them.

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