At least 25 people, including prison inmates and security personnel, have been killed as violent clashes continued for a second consecutive day at a prison in western Sri Lanka, authorities and local media reported on Monday.

According to local news outlet Ada Derana, the fatalities include 20 inmates and five prison officials. Around 100 people have also been injured during the unrest, making it one of the deadliest prison incidents in the country's recent history.

The violence erupted at Negombo Prison, located on Sri Lanka’s western coast, where authorities struggled to regain control as tensions escalated between prisoners and prison staff.

Reports indicated that fresh unrest broke out on Monday following a confrontation between inmates and prison officials. As the situation deteriorated, security forces were deployed to the facility to restore order.

According to News Wire, the government dispatched soldiers to assist prison authorities, while police officers opened fire in an effort to contain the clashes and prevent the violence from spreading further inside the prison complex.

Those injured during the unrest were transported to nearby hospitals and medical facilities for treatment. Health officials have not yet released details regarding the condition of the wounded.

The latest violence follows an earlier outbreak of clashes on Sunday between remanded and convicted prisoners. Those confrontations resulted in the deaths of two inmates and injuries to at least 38 others, according to local reports.

Prison authorities have since reinforced security measures around the facility and launched an investigation to determine the causes of the deadly disturbances.

Negombo Prison currently houses approximately 2,417 inmates. Officials are working to establish the sequence of events that led to the clashes and to identify those responsible for instigating the violence.

The incident has raised concerns about prison conditions, inmate management, and security procedures within Sri Lanka’s correctional system, as authorities seek to prevent further unrest and restore stability at the facility. (ILKHA)