28 people killed in prison riot in Mexico

At least 28 people were killed in a prison riot on Thursday between

suspected members of rival gangs in a prison in southern Mexican state

of Guerrero, according to local authorities.

The state government updated the death toll from original five to 28

as police searched the prison. Three other prisoners were lightly

injured.

At a press conference, Guerrero's security spokesperson, Roberto

Alvarez Heredia, said that the fight began around 4 a.m. in Las Cruces

prison in Acapulco. The fighting took place within block 1, block 3 and

in the yard.

No information has been given so far on the identity of the deceased

but Heredia said the families would be notified first. He stated that

the violence had been contained after the police took control of the

prison and no detainees had escaped.

Heredia explained that "the incident began due to the permanent struggle of rival groups inside the prison."

Guerrero governor Hector Astudillo Flores has given an order to "get

to the bottom of the events and to bring the full force of the law to

bear on those responsible."

Heredia added that "the investigation will include all the public servants within the prison system."

This prison is the most crowded in Guerrero, with 2,100 prisoners, according to Mexican government statistics.