Sri Lanka prison clashes leave at least 26 dead, dozens wounded

At least 26 people, including inmates and prison security personnel, were killed as clashes continued for a second day at a prison in Sri Lanka on Monday, Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara said.

The dead included seven prison officials and 19 inmates, according to local news outlet News Wire.

A total of 23 prison officers and 54 inmates are currently receiving treatment in hospital, the minister said, reported the Ada Derana news outlet.

The government earlier deployed soldiers to contain the situation as police "opened fire to control the clash between inmates and prison officers" after "fresh unrest had broken out" at Negombo prison on the western coast of the island nation, News Wire reported.

It added that the “unrest broke out following a confrontation between inmates and prison officials.”

Nanayakkara said the situation at the prison has been brought under control, while expressing his "deep" shock and sadness over the incident.

On Sunday, clashes broke out "between remanded and convicted prisoners (which) had resulted in the deaths of two inmates and injuries to 38 others," according to the report.

With security beefed up, prison authorities are conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the clashes at the prison, which currently houses 2,417 inmates.