Inmates Dropped Massive Stones on Officers' Heads in Sri Lanka's Negombo Prison Horror

COLOMBO (News 1st); In one of the most disturbing revelations to emerge from the deadly violence at Sri Lanka's Negombo Prison, prison officials say inmates involved in the unrest allegedly dropped massive stones onto the heads of prison officers who were attempting to contain the chaos.The shocking details have surfaced as investigators continue to piece together the sequence of events behind the deadly confrontation that has become one of the most serious prison incidents in recent Sri Lankan history.Authorities say the situation at Negombo Prison has now been brought completely under control, with the Police Special Task Force (STF) and the Sri Lanka Army deployed outside the facility to provide additional security.Prisons Department Spokesperson A.C. Gajanayake said security operations within the prison itself continue to be managed by prison officers.Meanwhile, three separate teams from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have launched investigations into the incident.Relatives of inmates once again gathered near Negombo Prison this (8) morning seeking information about family members being held inside the facility.Security agencies have now uncovered a series of significant details regarding the origins and escalation of the violence.According to information gathered by investigators, the initial clash erupted at around 11 a.m. on Sunday inside Negombo Prison.Authorities believe the violence began when a group allegedly involved in drug trafficking within the prison targeted inmates suspected of providing information about their activities to prison officials.Prison officers claim the attack was orchestrated by an inmate identified as Katuwellegama Suresh.Two inmates who were assaulted during the initial attack later succumbed to their injuries.Prison officials said security personnel subsequently intervened and managed to restore order, after which all inmates were peacefully returned to their respective cells.However, investigators have since uncovered further alarming developments.Acting Commissioner General of Prisons Prasada Hemantha Kumara revealed during a Cabinet media briefing that inmates had allegedly broken into the prison hospital during the night and taken medication prescribed for psychiatric patients.He further disclosed that when prison officers entered the premises the following morning to begin routine activities linked to court duties and inmate visitations, officials discovered that some inmates appeared to be in a highly unstable condition.“Monday was a court day and also a day when relatives were scheduled to visit inmates. After meals had been distributed, officers entered the premises to begin routine duties. We have now uncovered information indicating that some inmates had consumed narcotic substances and were in a highly unstable condition at that time,” he said.According to prison officials, another confrontation subsequently erupted among inmates.Officials stated that prison officers who responded in an attempt to restore order and control the situation were attacked by inmates during the renewed violence.