Sri Lanka's Negombo Prison Clashes Death Toll Rises to 25

Local media in Sri Lanka reported, citing police, that the death toll from deadly clashes at Negombo Prison has reached at least 25 killed and nearly 100 wounded. The unrest began on Sunday with fighting between rival inmate groups; clashes that left two dead and dozens wounded on the first day. Simultaneously, a group of female inmates gathered on the prison roof in protest of existing conditions and chanted slogans. With the resumption of clashes on Monday, the death toll increased to at least 25 people, and dozens of other inmates were injured. The wounded were transferred to surrounding hospitals for treatment, and two inmates who had been severely wounded were transferred to Colombo National Hospital. Officials of the Sri Lankan Prison Service announced that investigations have begun into the cause of the outbreak of these deadly clashes and how violence spread within the prison.