Sri Lanka's Deadliest Prison Riot: What 25 Deaths Reveal About System Collapse

A July 6 clash at Negombo Prison near Colombo killed at least 25 people—five guards and 20 inmates—with over 100 wounded. Guard deaths suggest either coordinated inmate action or rapid escalation beyond staff control. Sri Lanka's severely overcrowded prisons, despite reform pledges, remain volatile pressure cookers for recurring violence.