Fights at a Sri Lankan prison killed 25 people and hurt 100 others, according to sources

Two groups of prisoners in a Sri Lankan prison fought on Monday, and two police sources and one hospital source told Reuters that 25 people were killed and about 100 were hurt.

The fights began Sunday between convicted prisoners and those held at the Negombo jail, 20 miles north of Colombo.

It wasn’t clear right away what caused the fights.

Police sources reported that officials were still clearing out some parts of the prison while searching for the dead and injured. An Army spokesman told Reuters, “The military has been asked to provide support to the police, but currently they are on standby.”

Images from Derana TV showed a lot of police outside the prison gate as a police bus left the building with hurt prisoners, some of whom were lying on the floor.