The Brazilian authorities announced the death of five inmates and the injury of two others and a police officer during a riot at a high-security prison in the northern part of the country.
According to media reports, the riot occurred at a prison in Rio Branco, the capital of Acre state, and lasted for several hours. It started when 13 prisoners attempted to escape, and the guards intervened to prevent them, leading to clashes between the inmates and the guards.
The police, who supported the guards, seized a quantity of weapons in the possession of the prisoners, including 15 firearms of various calibers.
The authorities in Acre state clarified that investigations are ongoing into the circumstances of the incident, and they mentioned that ending the riot required the deployment of around 200 police officers, including special forces and reinforcements sent by the federal government.
It is worth noting that at least 55 inmates were killed in May 2019 during a wave of violence that erupted in prisons in northern Brazil, where acts of rioting are frequent, and the prisons are overcrowded. (QNA)
Source: Qatar News Agency