The people at Negombo prison were packed like sardines.

The main reasons for this great tragedy that occurred within the Negombo Prison are the activities of organized underworld gangs that prevailed in the prison and the severe overcrowding of prisoners. Investigations have revealed that the conflict began when inmates divided into two gangs, stemming from an incident where a large-scale drug trafficking operation within the prison was exposed.

One side of this conflict was led by the drug trafficker 'Katuwelle Gama Suresh Pushpakumara' alias Mahesh, who was a close associate of 'Booru Moona', a disciple of the underworld leader 'Kehelbadara Padme'. Associates of leading drug traffickers named Chooti and Adda, currently hiding in Dubai, also joined Katuwelle Gama Suresh's faction and successfully sold drugs within the prison. Suspecting that the other party, which opposed this illegal process, had provided information to the prison authorities, this severe attack was launched targeting them on the afternoon of the first day.

On the very first day of the incident, two prisoners were killed on the spot, and several others sustained serious injuries. The inmates who died on the first day have been identified as Warnakulasuriya Nilanka Dulshan, 29, a resident of Bolawalana, Negombo, and Ganegoda Arachchige Gayan Sampath, 29, a resident of Ashokapura, Nattandiya. During this conflict, a large number of prisoners broke into the prison hospital and pharmacy, looted various types of medicines, and consumed them in overdose. Security sources state that prisoners forcibly consumed medicines, especially those given for conditions like mental stress, and due to the unconsciousness and intoxication caused by this, they began to behave very wildly and violently. The presence of 16 leading underworld criminals and many large-scale drug traffickers in the prison contributed to the severity of this chaotic situation, making it uncontrollable. In addition, a large number of drug addicts and suspects arrested at the airport for various frauds are also detained here.

Relatives of the inmates as well as prison sources confirm that the severe overcrowding of prisoners within the prison directly contributed to the brutality of this mass conflict. Although Negombo Prison had a normal capacity to hold between 600 and 900 prisoners, at the time of the incident, an excessive number of inmates, ranging from 1800 to 2400, were detained there. Due to the prison being three to four times over its capacity, prisoners did not receive even minimal humanitarian facilities and were under severe mental stress. Fathers of inmates, who were in front of the hospital, stated that prisoners were held in extremely distressing conditions, packed like sardines in a tin. This inhumane overcrowding and pressure, combined with the instigation of underworld gangs, created the necessary background to turn the prison into a bloodbath, to the extent that one person had to sleep with another's face next to their leg.