Nineteen people were killed and more than 100 inmates were injured in a violent riot at a prison in Sri Lanka. The injured were taken to Negombo Hospital, north of the capital Colombo.
Hospital director Pushpa Gamlath said the bodies of four prison guards and 15 inmates were brought to the hospital. The clash began around 1pm Sunday between two factions of inmates inside the facility. Authorities brought the situation under control overnight, but violence erupted again on Monday morning.
Inmates broke into the prison’s armory and seized firearms. Authorities then opened fire to regain control of the overcrowded facility.
One of the factions consisted of remand prisoners who were allegedly running and supporting a drug trafficking network from inside their cells. The other faction was strongly opposed to their activities, and the two groups clashed. Two inmates were killed and approximately 38 were injured on Sunday.
Although prison authorities initially believed the situation was stable, fresh unrest broke out around dawn on Monday. Rioters armed themselves with equipment looted from a maintenance shed, overpowered guards, and stormed the main armory. When inmates began firing automatic weapons in the prison compound, the situation turned deadly. The Sri Lankan government launched a large-scale joint military and police operation to restore order. An investigation is underway.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report