32 die in riot in Argentine prison
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-10-17 10:30

A riot took place in a prison in the Argentine city of Magdalena, causing about 32 deaths, local authorities said on Sunday.

The turmoil also left six guards and six inmates beaten up and slightly burnt. One of the guards was seriously hurt.

The turmoil happened late Saturday due to a clash among some 70 inmates in a ward in Penitentiary Unit 28 of the city, about 120 km southeast of the capital, said Eduardo Di Rocco, justice minister of Buenos Aires Province.

Most of the deaths resulted from inmates inhaling carbon monoxide gas after clothing and cushions were set on fire by the rioters, he said.

According to preliminary reports, the turmoil started in a ward in the prison after jail authorities refused a request by the inmates to extend the schedule for Sunday visits.

The inmates made the request to celebrate Mother's Day, which falls on October 16 in the country.

The fire then engulfed the whole prison, which holds a total of some 700 prisoners.

The jail was soon put under control again and return to normal in the afternoon, Sebastian Cornuta, director of visits of Penitentiary Unit 28, told reporters.