By Roy Denish.
Negombo prison riot autopsies found nine victims beaten to death and 14 shot as investigators examine overcrowding and security failures.
The Negombo prison riot left at least nine victims beaten to death and 14 others killed by gunfire, forensic experts confirmed on Thursday after examining bodies recovered from the devastated facility.
A five-member special forensic medical committee, led by Dr. Sujeewa Wickramanayake, completed 24 post-mortem examinations from the 28 bodies recovered at the Negombo Prison complex. The facility lies about 35 kilometres, or 22 miles, north of the capital.
Negombo Prison Riot Autopsies Reveal Brutal Killings
The initial findings reveal extreme close-quarters violence. According to the report, jail guards died in “merciless” blunt-force attacks after inmates struck them with bricks and clubs. The victims suffered fatal head injuries.
Gunfire killed the remaining casualties among the first 24 bodies examined. On Monday, Sri Lankan security forces, including military personnel and the elite police Special Task Force, opened fire with assault rifles. They acted as waves of prisoners charged the main gate during a breakout attempt.
A formal verdict remains pending for one inmate who died while receiving emergency treatment in the intensive care unit at Colombo National Hospital. The matter remains before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court.
Meanwhile, forensic teams are continuing autopsies on four remaining bodies. One victim is an Indian national.
The Ministry of Justice and National Integration announced on Thursday that the damaged prison had become an active crime scene. Officials also confirmed that the facility would no longer house inmates.
Overcrowding and Security Failures Under Scrutiny
The deadly clash began on Sunday as a localised fight between rival drug gangs. However, it erupted into an all-out riot on Monday.
During the Negombo prison riot, inmates systematically destroyed internal security systems. These included body scanners and CCTV networks used to monitor contraband. Prisoners then seized firearms from overwhelmed guards.
Rights groups have long warned that Sri Lanka’s overcrowded prisons remain vulnerable to mass violence. Authorities built the Negombo facility for 900 inmates. However, nearly 2,400 people occupied its cells when the fighting started.
Negombo Chief Magistrate Shilani Perera has ordered Sri Lanka Police to submit an investigation report to court. Separately, a cabinet-approved independent judicial panel has begun examining the operational failures that led to the bloodshed.
The Negombo prison riot has left investigators confronting the killings and security breakdown inside one of Sri Lanka’s most congested prisons.
