19 killed, hundreds wounded after clashes break out in Sri Lankan prison

The death toll from violent unrest at a prison in Sri Lanka's western coastal town of Negombo has risen to 19, including four guards, and more than 100 people have been injured, authorities said on Monday, as security forces battled to restore order following two days of clashes. According to news agency PTI, violence first broke out on Sunday when rival groups of inmates clashed inside the overcrowded prison. The unrest flared up again on Monday after rioting prisoners reportedly seized firearms from the prison. Negombo Hospital director Pushpa Gamlath said 19 people had died and 72 others were injured in the clashes and subsequent violence. Some of the injured include prison officers and security personnel, with seriously wounded victims being transferred to the National Hospital in Colombo, reported news agency Xinhua. Rival inmate groups blamed Preliminary investigations indicate the violence stemmed from clashes between a group allegedly supporting drug trafficking activities inside the prison and another group opposed to those operations. Authorities have significantly tightened security, deploying the Police Special Task Force (STF) and riot control units to contain the situation. As part of efforts to restore order, three inmates were transferred to the Pallansena Prison Camp on Monday. Multiple investigations launched Prisons department spokesperson AC Gajanayake said a special investigation team has been appointed on the instructions of the Commissioner General of Prisons to determine the causes and circumstances behind the violence. A separate police investigation is also underway. Sri Lanka's justice minister Harshana Nanayakkara has sought a detailed report on the incident, while a magisterial inquiry into the prison violence was conducted on Sunday. Authorities continue to monitor the situation as security remains heightened inside and around the Negombo prison.