More than two dozen people have died and over 100 injured following a violent dispute between different prison populations in Negombo.
At least 25 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a prison clash in Negombo, Sri Lanka , officials confirmed on Monday.
They said that the clash originally began on Sunday, between convicted criminals residing in the prison and those in detention awaiting the next steps of the judicial process. It was not immediately clear what had sparked the fight, nor whether any security personnel were amongst the dead or injured.
The Sri Lankan military told Reuters news agency it was on "standby," outside the jail on Monday, ready to assist local law enforcement if needed.
Local media showed footage of injured inmates being brought out to buses that then left for local hospitals.
Negombo is a coastal city of about 137,000 people about 35 km (20 miles) north of Colombo.
Sri Lankan prisons are known to be stretched to the breaking point, with 39,000 inmates being housed in a system designed to hold only 10,000.
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