Welikada Prison
| Welikada Prison | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Town or city | Welikada, Colombo |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Construction started | 1841 |
| Completed | 1841 |
| Client | British Government, Sri Lankan Government |
The Welikada Prison (also known as the Magazine Prison) is a maximum security prison and is the largest prison in Sri Lanka. It was built in 1841 by the British colonial government under Governor Cameron. The prison covers and area of 48 acres (190,000 m2). It is over-crowded with about 1700 detainees exceeding the actual member that could be accommodated. The prison also has a gallows (although not used since 1959) and has its own hospital too. The prison is administrated by the Department of Prisons.
Following the attempted military coup in 1962, the arrested military and police officers remanded,pending trial in a special section at Welikada prison called the Magazine Section. A special security detachment was selected called the composite guard to guard these officers from the Ceylon Light Infantry with Major A Hulangamuwa in Charge.
In November 2012, 27 people died in clashes between inmates and prison guards.
Coordinates: 6°55′19″N 79°52′49″E / 6.92194°N 79.88028°E
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