Sri Lanka prison riot kills 26, wounds 100

FE Team | Published: July 07, 2026 00:12:55

COLOMBO: Families of prisoners argue with a police officer following unrest at Mahara prison near Colombo on Monday. — Reuters

COLOMBO, July 06 (Reuters): Clashes in a Sri Lankan jail killed 26 people, including seven guards, and wounded more than 100 in the country's deadliest prison riot in years, officials said Monday.
The clashes began on Sunday between convicted prisoners and those under detention at the prison in the coastal town of Negombo, about 35 km (20 miles) north of the commercial capital city of Colombo, the sources said.
The trigger for the clashes was not immediately known.
Police sources said that areas within the prison were still being cleared, with officials working to account for the dead and the injured. "Military has been requested to provide support to the police but at the moment they are on standby," Army spokesman Brigadier Waruna Gamage told the news agency.