Indian national killed in Sri Lanka prison riots

An Indian national was among the inmates killed in the Negombo Prison riots in Sri Lanka, The Hindu reported, citing Colombo-based official sources.

The victim has been identified as Unnikrishnan S., a 73-year-old Indian national.

The death toll from the prison riots rose to 28 on Wednesday (July 08, 2026), after one more prison officer who had suffered serious injuries died. More than 100 people were injured in the riots.

The Hindu described the incident as one of the most gruesome episodes of prison violence in Sri Lanka’s history.

The High Commission of India has not yet issued an official statement on the death of the Indian national.

However, official sources in Colombo said a note verbale regarding the incident had been sent by the Indian mission to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Indian nationals who had been lodged at the Negombo Prison were later transferred to other prisons, the report said.

The Negombo Prison is located about 35 kilometres north of Colombo and around 10 kilometres from the Bandaranaike International Airport, the report said.

The report also said The Hindu had not yet received a response from Sri Lanka’s Department of Prisons or the High Commission of India for further details on the charges faced by the deceased Indian national or the number of Indian prisoners transferred from the Negombo Prison.

The riots began on Sunday (July 05, 2026) and later spiralled out of control. Following the unrest, nearly 1,200 prisoners from the Negombo Prison were transferred to other prisons across Sri Lanka for their safety, the report further said.