A violent fight between different groups of prisoners at a correctional facility in Negombo, Sri Lanka, has led to 26 deaths and many injuries.

斯里蘭卡尼甘波的一家矯正設施內，不同囚犯群體之間發生激烈衝突，導致 26 人死亡及多人受傷。

The unrest was caused by a dispute over the illegal smuggling of drugs. Minister Harshana Nanayakkara emphasized that the conflict began after some prisoners informed the authorities about smuggling attempts, which angered a rival group involved in the operation. Consequently, the situation escalated into attacks on prison staff using homemade weapons, such as bricks and poles, which forced officials to use firearms in self-defense. Furthermore, a small group of prisoners intentionally disabled the security cameras, making it harder for staff to maintain control.

這次騷亂是由於非法走私毒品的爭端引起的。部長 Harshana Nanayakkara 強調，衝突始於部分囚犯向當局舉報走私企圖，激怒了參與該行動的對手群體。隨後，局勢升級為使用磚塊和長桿等自製武器攻擊監獄職員，迫使官員為了自衛而使用槍械。此外，一小組囚犯故意破壞了安全攝影機，使職員更難維持控制。

Experts believe that systemic failures within the institution played a major role. The Negombo facility was designed for 650 people, but it was housing approximately 2,400 inmates at the time of the incident. This local overcrowding reflects a wider national crisis, as the total prison population exceeds 39,000 despite a total capacity of only 10,000. Therefore, this chronic overcrowding is being examined as a primary reason for the volatile environment.

專家認為，機構內部的系統性失效起到了主要作用。尼甘波設施的設計容量為 650 人，但在事故發生時約有 2,400 名囚犯被關押。這種局部過度擁擠反映了更廣泛的國家危機，因為儘管總容量僅為 10,000 人，但全國總囚犯人數已超過 39,000 人。因此，這種長期的過度擁擠被視為導致環境不穩的主要原因。

In response to the violence, the government has deployed special forces and armored vehicles to secure the area. To reduce overcrowding and separate the instigators, 734 inmates were moved to other facilities. Additionally, the government has started three separate investigations—a police inquiry, an internal review, and a judicial committee—to determine if security failures or overcrowding contributed to the violence.

為了回應暴力事件，政府已部署特種部隊和裝甲車以確保該地區安全。為了減緩擁擠並將煽動者分開，734 名囚犯被移至其他設施。此外，政府啟動了三項獨立調查——警方調查、內部審查和司法委員會——以確定安全漏洞或過度擁擠是否導致了此次暴力事件。

The prison remains under heavy military guard while the three investigations continue to determine the exact causes of the deaths.

在三項調查繼續確定死亡原因之際，監獄仍處於軍方的嚴密看管之下。