Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Sri Lanka deploys troops to prisons after deadly unrest
Sri Lanka is a country where some people who break the law are kept in prisons.
Lately, the prisons have been having big problems.
Some prisoners tried to run away, and there were fights.
Three prisoners died and 23 others got hurt.
To keep everyone safe, the leaders sent soldiers to three prisons.
One big reason for the trouble is that the prisons are too full — they hold about four times as many people as they were built for.
That can make people angry and upset.
Most of the people in jail are still waiting for their court trials.
A leader named Ananda Wijepala thinks someone may have planned the trouble on purpose, but he is not sure yet.
Sri Lanka deployed troops to three prisons after unrest left three inmates dead and 23 injured.
Around 40 convicts attempted to escape Welikada Prison in Colombo on Thursday night, but guards foiled the attempt, killing one inmate and wounding 10.
Two inmates were killed and 13 injured during unrest at a prison in Kuruwita, about 80 km southeast of Colombo.
About 30 inmates at a prison in Pallansena, north of Colombo, climbed onto the roof and refused to return to their cells on Friday.
Officials blame severe overcrowding, as prisons hold about four times their designed capacity, and Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala suspects a possible conspiracy.
- Who
- Sri Lankan authorities, led by Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, deployed troops, while inmates at Welikada, Kuruwita and Pallansena prisons were involved in the unrest.
- What
- Deadly prison unrest and escape attempts left three inmates dead and 23 injured, prompting the deployment of troops to three prisons.
- When
- Troops were deployed on Friday, following a foiled escape attempt at Welikada Prison on Thursday night.
- Where
- Sri Lanka — Welikada Prison in Colombo, a prison in Kuruwita about 80 km southeast of Colombo, and a prison in Pallansena north of Colombo.
- Why
- Officials blame severe overcrowding, since prisons hold about four times their designed capacity, and the minister suspects a possible conspiracy.
- Deaths
- 3 inmates killed
- Injured
- 23 inmates
- Prisons with troops
- Welikada (Colombo), Kuruwita, Pallansena
- Escape attempt
- About 40 convicts at Welikada Prison, foiled by guards
- Overcrowding
- Prisons hold about 4 times designed capacity
- Remand population
- More than 75% of inmates awaiting trial, mostly on drug-related offences
- Earlier riots
- 10 guards and 23 inmates killed in two riots since last month
- New facilities
- None added; plan to convert disused government buildings announced last month