A fresh clash broke out at the Negombo prison premises today (06) at around 10 am, killing 30 people, including eight prison officers. The previous day (05) when the incident began, two inmates had died, and the total death toll from the incident has now risen to 32.
After the situation that had arisen the day before yesterday had calmed down, the inmates attacked the prison officers when they entered for breakfast yesterday (06). The inmates also attacked other officers who entered to control the situation. The officers and inmates were killed in the clash, Prison Media Spokesperson A.C. Gajanayake told the media.
The prison office, pharmacy and armoury have been broken into and all the goods have been seized by the inmates.
After the security forces opened fire in the air to control the situation, riot police and Special Task Force officers entered the prison premises and brought the injured officers and others out of the prison and immediately admitted them to the Negombo Hospital.
When the detainees and inmates tried to come out of the front gate of the prison, the police and the Special Task Force officers deployed to ensure the security of the fuel station were able to control them.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Air Force had deployed a Bell 412 helicopter and a drone to monitor the information in the prison premises. The detainees used firearms stolen from the officers and shot at the drone.
To calm the situation, the Police Special Task Force and the Riot Control Unit entered the prison premises with tear gas. Nearly 100 injured people have been admitted to the Negombo Hospital, including a group of prison officers, hospital authorities say.
Relatives and friends who came to check on the well-being of the detainees began to stir up trouble by asking for information about their relatives. They climbed nearby buildings and walls and shouted for the detainees to be protected, while prison officers and security forces together tried hard to control the relatives by explaining the situation.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner General of Prisons has appointed a committee to investigate the clash between two groups of detainees at the Negombo Prison.
It has been revealed that an inmate named Suresh Pushpakumara from Katuwellegama, who was arrested and imprisoned for drug trafficking, led the clash.