Update - The clash between the two gangs became a disaster that killed officials, and the death toll in Negombo has exceeded 25.

Due to a severe riot among a group of inmates inside the Negombo Prison, the prison premises have taken on the nature of a highly volatile battlefield. This conflict, which began yesterday, has escalated into a fierce clash between prison officials and detainees today, with security forces working hard to control the situation.

It is reported that due to this deadly conflict, several individuals, including inmates and prison officials, have lost their lives, and a large number of people have been injured.

Given the current situation, statistics on deaths and injuries are constantly changing, with unofficial reports stating that the death toll has risen to 25. It is reported that among the deceased are 5 prison officials, and some inmates' bodies have been disfigured beyond recognition due to the assaults. Furthermore, over 100 injured inmates have been hospitalized, and two in critical condition have been transferred to the Colombo National Hospital. The fact that only a small number of officers, approximately 20, were present to control over 2000 inmates detained in the prison when the conflict escalated has further exacerbated the situation.

According to prison sources, the main reason for this large-scale conflict is a dispute between two gangs that arose from an incident where information about drug trafficking within the prison was provided to officials. This clash between two gangs named 'Doom Mada' was orchestrated by an inmate named Katuwelle Gama Suresh Pushpakumara, a close associate of the notorious organized criminal 'Booru Moona'. He is currently injured and remains inside the prison, and due to the prevailing unsafe conditions, officials have not yet been able to take him out for treatment.

In this overcrowded prison, security officials have been forced to shoot below the knee for self-defense, but the extremely chaotic situation has made it difficult to control. Security forces, including the Police and the Special Task Force (STF), have surrounded the prison and tightened security, but the deadly nature of the situation inside has prevented them from entering immediately. Meanwhile, there are reports that inmates have seized firearms belonging to prison officials, and unofficial sources state that inmates have also shot at an Air Force drone conducting aerial surveillance.

Riotous inmates broke into a prison office and made calls to their homes using the telephone lines there, while others reportedly broke into the dispensary, took an overdose of medicines, and became intoxicated. Meanwhile, female inmates in the prison also climbed onto the roofs, shouting and supporting the conflict, and eight female inmates were injured and hospitalized when a roof collapsed. It is suspected that one or two of the hospitalized inmates have since escaped from the hospital ward, and special investigations are underway regarding this.

A large crowd has gathered in front of the prison, behaving restlessly, seeking information about the lives of their relatives inside, and additional security battalions have been deployed to control this external situation. To regain control within the prison premises, authorities have taken steps to disconnect essential facilities, including the water supply. This devastation has occurred against a backdrop where a senior official who previously served at Negombo Prison and was recently transferred had warned of such a volatile situation, and the subject minister has immediately called for a full report on the matter. Recalling the past history of 27 deaths in the 2012 Welikada Prison riot and 10 deaths in the 2020 Mahara Prison riot, stringent measures are continuously being taken to suppress this severe situation that has arisen within the Negombo Prison.