Sri Lanka prisoners riot leaving 3 dead, 23 injured in chaos

Authorities suspect narcotics dealers and gang rivalries are behind prison violence at several facilities in Sri Lanka.Police and riot squads have been deployed after three inmates were killed and nearly two dozen others were injured in separate prison riots across Sri Lanka.Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told parliament on Friday that one prisoner was killed when 40 inmates broke out of their cells at the New Magazine Prison in the capital, Colombo, late on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2At least 26 people killed in Sri Lanka prison clasheslist 2 of 2Inmates and guards killed in deadly fighting at Sri Lanka prisonend of listTwo more prisoners were killed on Friday morning during a second riot at Kuruwita prison, about 80km (50 miles) from the capital, he said.Between the two incidents, 23 inmates were injured and admitted to hospitals, Wijepala said, adding that police and special forces ‌brought both riots under control.Additionally, police told the Reuters news agency that officers fired tear gas at protesting inmates at an open prison in the coastal town of Negombo, about 40km (25 miles) from Colombo, to bring the situation there under control on Friday.Riot police at all three prisons worked to return prisoners who had climbed onto rooftops or moved into open areas back to their wards, the minister said.Wijepala told parliament the violence was related to narcotics dealers and rival criminal gangs.He said the government is trying to find out if the riots were coordinated.“When you take all ⁠these incidents together, it appears that there is planning behind these and an attempt at sabotage. But we can only say ⁠anything further after a comprehensive investigation,” Wijepala said.The prison disturbances happened a month after 10 ⁠prison officials and 20 prisoners died in two days of fighting at a prison in Negombo.