Three inmates killed in separate Sri Lankan prison clashes, dozens wounded
Sri Lankan officials say three prisoners died in two distinct prison fights, while more than 20 others were injured.
In statements to parliament, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala reported that three inmates lost their lives in distinct prison disturbances on Thursday and Friday. A fight involving about 40 prisoners at Colombo Magazine Prison in the capital resulted in one fatality after inmates escaped their cells, while a separate confrontation at Kuruwita Prison about 80 km away claimed two lives on Friday morning. Combined, the two incidents injured 23 inmates who were taken to hospitals.
Wijepala attributed the violence to conflicts between narcotics traffickers and competing criminal groups. The latest killings come a month after a clash at Negombo prison that left at least 26 people dead, including seven guards. Overcrowding remains acute, with roughly 39,000 detainees housed in facilities designed for 10,000, prompting calls from the Committee for Rights of Prisoners to treat drug addicts as patients and create dedicated rehab centers.
Why it matters
The incidents expose severe overcrowding and gang-related violence in Sri Lankan prisons, raising human-rights concerns.
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