Riots erupted in several Sri Lankan prisons, resulting in 3 inmate deaths and 23 injuries. Authorities suspect rival drug gangs and criminal groups are behind the unrest and are rushing to determine if it was a coordinated plan.
On 8 Aug 2026 GMT+7, foreign news agencies reported that riots broke out in multiple prisons across Sri Lanka, causing 3 prisoner deaths and 23 injuries. Police and riot control units were deployed to manage the situation amid suspicions that the disturbances were linked to drug trafficking networks and gang conflicts.
Ananda Weerakoon, Sri Lanka's Minister of Public Security, told parliament on Friday that the first incident occurred Thursday evening at New Magazine Prison in Colombo, where about 40 inmates broke out of their cells, resulting in one prisoner’s death.
Then on Friday morning, another riot broke out at Kuruwita Prison, about 80 kilometers from Colombo, resulting in two more prisoner deaths. The two riots caused 23 inmates to be injured and hospitalized. Police and special forces were able to regain control of the situation.
Additionally, police fired tear gas to disperse protesting inmates at an open prison in Negombo, about 40 kilometers from Colombo. Riot police from all three prisons worked to bring inmates who had climbed onto rooftops or gathered in open areas back into their cells.
Minister Weerakoon said authorities suspect the riots are linked to competing drug trafficking groups and criminal gangs. They are investigating whether these were coordinated events. Initially, it seems possible the incidents were sabotage attempts, but a detailed investigation is underway.
Reports indicate these recent prison riots in Sri Lanka occurred just one month after clashes in a Negombo prison left 30 dead after two days of fighting. Last week, another riot at Mahara Prison, about 14 kilometers from Colombo, resulted in one death and multiple injuries.
These events highlight the critical overcrowding crisis in Sri Lanka's prisons. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told parliament earlier that prisons nationwide are designed to hold about 10,000 inmates, but currently house over 39,000—nearly four times their capacity.
Source: Aljazeera