Members of Sri Lanka Prisons Emergency Action and Tactical Force react as the bodies of prison officials who died in clashes between two groups of inmates at Negombo Prison are brought to Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Jul 8, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Thilina Kaluthotage)
08 Jul 2026 06:09PM
(Updated: 08 Jul 2026 06:13PM)
COLOMBO: Dularika Perera, 38, only found out her cousin was among 26 people killed in the worst Sri Lankan prison riot in years when his photo was sent to her on WhatsApp. The seven prison officials and 19 prisoners died in two days of fighting between two groups of inmates at the prison in the coastal town of Negombo, about 35km north of the commercial capital, Colombo, authorities said. Clad in white and holding onto her four-year-old son, Perera was among the grieving relatives and friends waiting on Wednesday morning for the bodies of the prison officials to be brought to the Welikada Prison in Colombo. Sergeant SDS Abeywardana, 41, had spent a dozen years in Sri Lanka's navy before joining a special unit under the prison department tasked with tackling corruption, drug trafficking and misconduct.
Abeywardana was among 120 members of the unit sent to the Negombo prison when clashes broke out on Sunday and escalated on Monday. Six of his colleagues also died after being attacked by inmates using mostly bricks and clubs when they attempted to stop prisoners from escaping. The bodies of the 19 inmates who died were also released to their families.
