A riot at Negombo Prison in western Sri Lanka has killed at least 26 people, including seven guards, and left more than 100 others injured in what officials described as the country's deadliest prison violence in years. The two days of clashes, which began on Sunday evening and intensified on Monday, were triggered by a dispute between rival drug gangs inside the facility, with reports suggesting the initial spark was an inmate informing on a drug trafficking operation within the prison.

Negombo is a coastal city roughly 35 kilometres north of Colombo, Sri Lanka's commercial capital, and its prison houses several thousand detainees. As the fighting escalated, prisoners seized guards' weapons, prompting security forces — including police and military units — to deploy to the scene. The air force used drones and a helicopter to monitor the area, while local residents reported hearing gunshots from inside the facility. Seven guards died when they attempted to break up the rioting on Monday. Violence also spread to an adjoining women's wing, where female inmates climbed onto the roof demanding their release; part of that roof later collapsed, injuring several women.

Casualties were transported to both Negombo Hospital and Colombo National Hospital. The hospital director confirmed victims had sustained gunshot wounds, cuts, and severe bruising, with the most serious cases transferred to the capital. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara expressed "profound shock and grief," saying the deaths — whether of inmates or individuals connected to criminal networks — demanded a serious response. "Human beings have died, and there is a deep shock regarding that. This is something that should never have occurred," he said. Authorities announced the formation of a three-member investigative panel, to be headed by a retired Supreme Court justice. Prison officials separately clarified that no foreign nationals were among those affected.

The riot has thrown a stark light on Sri Lanka's chronic prison overcrowding crisis. Official figures show the country's jails currently hold more than 41,000 inmates — roughly four times their intended capacity. The last comparable episode of prison violence occurred in December 2020, when a riot during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic killed 11 prisoners and wounded 117, prompting the government to release hundreds of detainees from overcrowded facilities. That crisis produced no lasting structural reform, and campaigners warn that without urgent action to address capacity and conditions, further unrest remains likely.