Sri Lanka prisoners riot leaving 3 dead, 23 injured in chaos

Authorities suspect narcotics dealers and gang rivalries are behind prison violence at several facilities in Sri Lanka. Police and riot squads have been deployed after three inmates were killed and nearly two dozen others were injured in separate prison riots across Sri Lanka. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told parliament on Friday that one prisoner was killed when 40 inmates broke out of their cells at the New Magazine Prison in the capital, Colombo, late on Thursday. Two more prisoners were killed on Friday morning during a second riot at Kuruwita prison, about 80km (50 miles) from the capital, he said. Between the two incidents, 23 inmates were injured and admitted to hospitals, Wijepala said, adding that police and special forces brought both riots under control.

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Scoop News DeskSri Lanka · Published Friday, August 7, 2026 at 3:10 PM UTCUpdated Friday, August 7, 2026 at 7:40 PM UTC

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Facilities are highly congested, with more than 39,000 inmates crowded into a system with a total capacity of just 10,000, according to a recent speech in parliament by Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara. “The number of prisoners in Sri Lanka today is four times the capacity,” said Senaka Perera, president of the Committee for Rights of Prisoners. “In fact, they have been patient for so long.” A large number of inmates are suspects awaiting trial for alleged narcotics-related offences. Sri Lanka prisoners riot leaving 3 dead,