At least 52 are dead after a lengthy, bloody gang riot at a Brazilian prison.
Gang members from one prison block reportedly invaded another section of the Altamira jail and attacked a rival gang Monday, battling for about five hours, according to BBC.
Officials said that among those found dead, 16 had been decapitated. There are other reports that a portion of the jail was set on fire, suffocating many inside the facility. Two officers at the jail were taken hostage but have since been set free.
The prison is located in the Pará state and has a capacity of 200 inmates but was reportedly packed with 311 prisoners at the time of the riot. The violence began around 7 a.m. local time, ending around noon.
The two rival gangs involved in the fighting have not yet been identified by Brazilian authorities. Brazil, a country of more than 200 million, has the world’s third-largest prison population, totaling about 700,000 inmates. Its prisons are notoriously violent, with overcrowding a major problem.
Recently elected Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, 64, campaigned on lowering crime in the country and has vowed to open more prisons.
