A violent clash between two groups of inmates at the Negombo Prison this afternoon (05) has left two prisoners dead and 35 others admitted to the Negombo Hospital, officials said.
Hospital sources confirmed that the number of injured inmates admitted to hospital had risen to 35, with several in critical condition.
Two seriously injured prisoners have been transferred to the Colombo National Hospital for further treatment, while around ten others are scheduled to undergo surgery at the Negombo Hospital. The remaining injured inmates are receiving treatment as inpatients.
Preliminary reports suggest that the clash was triggered by an incident related to the exposure of a drug trafficking operation within the prison.
Following the incident, police and the Special Task Force (STF) have been deployed to the prison premises to strengthen security and restore order.
