What started as a fight between inmates quickly spiralled into one of Sri Lanka’s deadliest prison riots in years.
How did a dispute inside a prison end with dozens dead and more than 100 injured?
The two-day violence at Negombo Prison, just north of Colombo, claimed 26 lives, including seven prison guards.
Scores of inmates and officers remain hospitalised. Officials say the unrest began after a clash.
It was linked to allegations that an inmate had informed authorities about a drug trafficking operation inside the overcrowded prison.
The situation worsened when prisoners allegedly seized guards’ firearms.
As panic spread, inmates climbed onto rooftops demanding freedom.
Fresh violence erupted the next day as groups attempted to storm the prison gates.
Crisis Deepens In Sri Lanka
Security forces were deployed, gunfire echoed through the facility, and part of the prison roof collapsed, injuring several women.
Many victims suffered gunshot wounds, cuts and severe bruises, while authorities have started transferring prisoners to other facilities.
Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara has ordered a full investigation.
Experts have long warned that Sri Lanka’s prisons are dangerously overcrowded.
With more than 41,000 inmates housed in facilities built for only a fraction of that number, tensions can escalate rapidly.
The tragedy is a grim reminder that when prisons are pushed beyond their limits.
The walls meant to contain violence can end up amplifying it instead.
