Three Inmates Killed in Sri Lanka Prison Riots

Three inmates were killed during riots at two prisons in Sri Lanka. Police and special forces brought the situation under control, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala said.

One prisoner was killed and 10 others were injured at New Magazine Prison in Colombo. A second riot at Kuruwita Prison, about 80 km from the capital, left two dead and 14 injured. Unrest also broke out at the open prison in Negombo, where police used tear gas against protesting inmates.

Sri Lankan prisons have long struggled with severe overcrowding. More than 41,000 prisoners are held across 22 facilities designed for approximately 11,000 people. More than three-quarters of them are in pretrial detention awaiting trial, many on drug-related charges.

Wijepala said the series of disturbances may have resulted from planning and an attempt at sabotage, though he noted that definitive conclusions would only come after a comprehensive investigation.

(Reuters, Lud)