Forty-nine inmates have been killed and dozens injured during an escape attempt at a prison in the southwestern Colombian city of Tulua.
A spokesperson for the Colombian Prison Service said 49 people have died so far, but the number could rise.
According to Caracol Radio, authorities said the tragic incident occurred during an escape attempt, after which a fire broke out in the prison.
More than 40 people were injured, the report said.
Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Twitter, “We regret the prison incident in Tulua, Valle del Cauca. I am in contact with Tito Castellanos and have ordered an investigation to clarify this terrible situation.”
Latin American prisons are notorious for bloody riots. In Colombia’s neighbor Ecuador, nearly 400 inmates have died in six riots since the beginning of 2021.
