Sri Lanka prison riots kill 26 and injure over 100 at Negombo facility

Sri Lanka prison riots kill 26 and injure over 100 at Negombo facility

Deadly riots at Negombo Prison in western Sri Lanka have left 26 people dead and more than 100 injured, marking the country's most severe prison unrest in years. The violence, which unfolded over two days starting Sunday, July 5, 2026, claimed the lives of seven prison officials and 19 inmates.

The disturbances began on Sunday evening as clashes erupted between two groups of inmates. According to police and preliminary findings, the fighting was triggered by a dispute between a group allegedly supporting drug trafficking operations inside the facility and another group opposed to such activities. Other reports describe the combatants as members of two rival drug gangs.

The situation escalated on Monday, July 6, 2026, when inmates allegedly seized guns from guards and attempted to rush the prison's main gates during breakfast. While police and commandos were deployed to the perimeter, they were not sent inside the facility. However, multiple gunshots were heard from within the prison as security forces were deployed to contain the chaos.

The violence extended beyond the initial fighting. Women inmates from an adjoining unit climbed onto a prison roof to demand their release. Police reported that a section of the roof collapsed during the incident, causing injuries to some of the women.

Medical facilities in the region handled the aftermath. Pushpa Gamlath, the director of Negombo Hospital, reported that 23 bodies were brought to the state-run facility. Gamlath told the AFP news agency that victims presented with gunshot wounds, cuts, and severe bruises. From there, 18 of the most seriously wounded were transferred to the Colombo National Hospital.

Currently, 54 inmates and 23 prison officers remain under medical treatment, according to officials.

Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara took personal responsibility for the tragedy, stating that the facility is under his purview. Speaking to reporters in Colombo, Nanayakkara expressed profound shock and grief and asserted that such an event should never have occurred.

The minister emphasized that the identities of the deceased — whether inmates or underworld associates — are not the immediate priority, stating:

"Human beings have died, and there is a deep shock regarding that."

Harshana Nanayakkara, Minister of Justice and Prisons, via reporters

The unrest highlighted critical issues regarding prison capacity. As of Sunday, July 5, official data showed that Sri Lankan prisons held 41,250 inmates, which is approximately four times their total capacity. Negombo Prison specifically held around 1,800 inmates at the time of the riots.

Outside the walls, crowds of inmates' relatives gathered on Monday. Some told BBC Sinhala they had received no information regarding the location or status of their loved ones. In response to the volatility, the air force deployed drones and a helicopter to monitor the area, and the military was placed on standby.

Prisons commissioner media spokesman AC Gajanayake confirmed that no foreign inmates were affected. This includes a 22-year-old British woman who has been held at the facility since May 2025 after being found with 46kg of kush at the international airport.

To restore order, authorities have begun relocating inmates to other facilities via prison buses, including the transfer of three inmates to the Pallansena Prison Camp on Monday. The Police Special Task Force and riot control units remain deployed to strengthen security.

Multiple investigations are now underway to determine the causes of the unrest:

• A special investigation launched by a dedicated team appointed by the Commissioner General of Prisons.
• A separate police investigation.
• A magisterial inquiry conducted on Sunday, July 5.
• A three-member team, headed by a retired Supreme Court justice, appointed by the government to investigate the riot.

This event follows a previous major incident in December 2020, where rioting at another facility killed 11 inmates and injured 117, leading to the mass release of prisoners to alleviate overcrowding.