A total of four inmates have been injured after part of the roof at the Negombo Prison collapsed during a protest this afternoon (05), hospital sources said.

The protest began after a clash between two groups of inmates inside the prison earlier in the day.

Following the incident, a group of male prisoners climbed onto the prison roof and staged a demonstration.

Part of the roof collapsed while the inmates were on top of the building, resulting in injuries to four prisoners.

The injured inmates were admitted to the Negombo Hospital for treatment. 

Earlier it was reported that a drug trafficker identified as Suresh, who is said to have close links to an underworld figure known as “Booru Moona” orchestrated the violent clash between two groups of inmates at the Negombo Prison which resulted in two prisoners dead.

Police said the violence was triggered by an alleged dispute over the exposure of a drug trafficking operation within the prison.

According to the Negombo General Hospital, 28 injured inmates remain under medical treatment, while two critically wounded prisoners have been transferred to the Colombo National Hospital for specialized care.

Negombo Prison, which houses both remand prisoners and short-term convicts, accommodates nearly 1,800 inmates. Police said the clash erupted between two rival inmate groups before rapidly escalating into widespread violence.