Sri Lanka prison riot leaves 23 dead, over 100 injured

(CNA Colombo, June 6,綜合外電) Sri Lankan officials announced today that a conflict erupted in a prison in the country, resulting in 23 deaths, including 4 prison guards, and over 100 injuries, making it the deadliest prison riot in the country in more than 5 years.

According to AFP, police stated that inmates from two drug gangs in the main prison in Negombo clashed overnight, and the injured have been rushed to Negombo Hospital.

Hospital officials stated that there are currently 23 bodies at the hospital, and over 100 injured inmates and guards are being treated. Some have gunshot wounds, while others have stab wounds and severe bruises.

According to officials, brawls began in Negombo Prison last night, which houses thousands of inmates.

As news of the brawls spread within the prison, female inmates in a nearby area climbed onto the roof, demanding their release from the authorities. Police said a portion of the roof collapsed, causing injuries to some female inmates.

Police commandos were ordered to the scene today but were not deployed inside the prison. A large crowd of inmate relatives gathered outside the prison, and the air force deployed drones and a helicopter to monitor the situation.

In December 2020, a riot also broke out in another Sri Lankan prison during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in 11 inmate deaths and 117 injuries, and leading the government to release hundreds of inmates from overcrowded prisons.

Official data shows that as of yesterday, Sri Lankan prisons housed a total of 41,250 inmates, about four times their original capacity. (Compiled by Yang Zhaoyan) 1150706

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