Sri Lanka Prison Clashes Leave At Least 20 Dead

Colombo. At least 20 people have died in fierce clashes in Negombo prison in Sri Lanka. It is said that more than 100 other people have been injured in this incident.

International media, citing local media and police, reported that violence that began on Sunday in Negombo prison, located about 35 kilometers north of the capital Colombo, continued until Monday.

According to hospital sources, 16 prisoners and four prison security personnel were among the dead. According to Pushpa Gamalath, director of Negombo Hospital, 23 bodies were brought to the hospital, and more than one hundred injured prisoners and security personnel have been admitted for treatment. 

Sri Lankan police spokesperson Chandana Herath confirmed that clashes occurred inside the prison and that there were casualties. However, detailed information about the incident has not been made public.

The reason for the clashes could not be immediately ascertained. Security forces have stated that an investigation into the incident has begun. Footage broadcast by local television Derana TV shows a large number of police deployed outside the prison. 

Footage was also broadcast showing injured prisoners being taken to the hospital by police bus, with some injured lying on the floor of the bus. Security has been tightened in and around Negombo prison following the incident. Officials said efforts to bring the violence under complete control are ongoing.