Sri Lanka deployed hundreds of troops and elite commandos on Sunday, August 2, to contain riots at Mahara Prison. The unrest resulted in the death of one inmate and left six others wounded.
The facility, located just outside Colombo, was operating at approximately four times its intended capacity with 4,100 inmates. Over three-quarters of inmates in Sri Lanka are remand prisoners awaiting trial, with most held in connection with drug offences.
Number of inmates housed at Mahara Prison, approximately four times its intended capacity.
On August 1, inmates destroyed the prison's kitchen, hospital, a newly built rehabilitation building, and vocational training facilities.
We got reinforcements from the armed forces and the Special Task Force commandos
Deputy police inspector-general Sanjeewa Medawatte said the situation was under control after the destruction of buildings inside the prison.
History of unrest
This unrest occurred almost a month after another prison riot in the same region of Sri Lanka that killed 10 guards and 21 inmates. In November 2020, a riot at the Mahara Prison facility resulted in 11 inmates being shot and killed and nearly 120 others being wounded.
In July, Sri Lankan authorities announced plans to convert disused state buildings into prisons.
