Violence in a Sri Lankan prison has resulted in the deaths of at least 19 individuals, including four guards, and has injured over 100, marking the most severe prison riot in over five years, according to officials on Monday.
According to authorities, the injured were swiftly transported to the Negombo hospital, situated north of the capital Colombo, after nocturnal confrontations between members of two drug gangs.
Hospital director Pushpa Gamlath reported that 19 bodies were received at her state-run health institution, along with over 100 injured convicts and guards admitted for treatment.
Gamlath informed AFP via telephone that there are several victims with gunshot wounds.
Hostilities commenced on Sunday evening at Negombo jail, which accommodates almost 10,000 convicts, according to officials.
Police commandos have been summoned, although they were not assigned to the interior of the prison.
Numerous relatives of the inmates assembled outside the prison on Monday.
Local neighbors reported hearing gunfire as police utilized drones to observe the situation. A police spokesman informed AFP that four guards were slain while attempting to quell the disturbance. The issue escalated uncontrollably this morning.
In December 2020, disturbances at a different prison in Sri Lanka resulted in the deaths of 11 inmates and injuries to 117 during the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak, prompting the government to release hundreds of detainees from overcrowded facilities.
Official statistics indicated that jails in Sri Lanka housed 41,250 inmates as of Sunday, approximately four above their intended capacity.
