The death toll in the Negombo prison riots rose to 27 on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) as authorities said the situation had been brought under control.

Several foreign inmates were among around 700 prisoners evacuated safely during the violence, while the government announced a three-member probe headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate the incident and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.

Prisons spokesman A.C. Gajanayake said the clashes, which began between two groups of inmates on Sunday (July 5, 2026), escalated into an attempted jailbreak on Monday (July 6). The inmates attacked jail officials while breakfast was being served.

Seven prison officials and 19 inmates were killed in a gunfight that followed, while several were injured. The death toll rose by one on Tuesday (July 7) morning to 27, Gajanayake said.

More than 100 inmates and prison officials were admitted to Negombo Hospital, with some later transferred to the National Hospital in Colombo. At least 10 of them underwent emergency surgeries, health officials said.

Minister in charge of prisons, Harshana Nanayakkara, told Parliament that a full investigation would identify any lapses that may have led to the violence.

“We will carry out a full probe into the incident to identify any lapses that may have led to the situation,” said Mr. Nanayakkara, who is a former judge.

Opposition legislator Ajith P. Perera criticised the Minister’s handling of the crisis. “He didn’t do anything to control the situation when it was getting bad yesterday. He was a failure,” Mr. Perera told reporters.

The Opposition has written to the Parliament Speaker seeking an urgent debate on the incident. Authorities on Tuesday (July 7) transferred a known criminal, Katuwellegoda Suresh, to the high-security Boossa prison. Officials believe his links to the prison’s internal narcotics distribution chain were the primary cause of the incident.

Negombo Magistrate Shirani Perera visited the prison on Tuesday (July 7) to conduct the magisterial inquiry, while the Human Rights Commission also inspected the facility. Around 1,800 inmates were housed in the prison when the clashes erupted.

The death toll in the violent unrest at a prison in Sri Lanka’s western coastal town of Negombo has risen to 19, authorities said.

A clash erupted on Sunday (July 5, 2026) between two rival groups of inmates in the over-capacity prison. Clash erupted again on Monday (July 6, 2026) as rioting inmates had grabbed prison guns.

Director of the Negombo Hospital, Pushpa Gamlath, said 19 people have been killed, and 72 have been injured as a result of the clashes and subsequent disturbances within the prison.

Preliminary findings have revealed that the violence is believed to have erupted between a group allegedly supporting drug trafficking activities within the prison and another group opposed to such activities.

Security has been significantly strengthened, with the Police Special Task Force (STF) and riot control units deployed to contain the situation, police said.

Following the clashes, three inmates were transferred to the Pallansena Prison Camp on Monday (July 6, 2026) as part of efforts to restore order and prevent further violence.

Prisons Department Media Spokesman AC Gajanayake stated that a special investigation has been launched into the incident.He said a dedicated investigation team has been appointed on the instructions of the Commissioner General of Prisons to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the causes and circumstances surrounding the unrest.

A separate police investigation is also underway.

Meanwhile, Minister of Justice, Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara, has called for a detailed report on the clashes involving inmates at the Negombo Prison.

A magisterial inquiry into the incident was conducted on Sunday.