7 Killed, 11 Injured in Veracruz Prison Riot as Flames and Smoke Consumed Facility: Authorities By Lesley Cosme Torres

Seven people were killed and 11 others were injured in a Mexican prison riot on Sunday where inmates were protesting treatment inside the prison due to the activities of a criminal group, authorities said. 

The violence broke out Saturday afternoon and stretched into the night at a prison in the Mexican state of Veracruz, according to a statement from the state security ministry. Inmates maintained control of the facility for 12 hours.

Authorities in Veracruz were able to carry out a “coordinated operation” with support from the military to regain control of the prison. “As a result of the riot, we report the tragic deaths of seven inmates and 11 injured people,” the statement said. 

Those who survived the prison riot are being treated in various hospitals for their injuries, authorities said. Three inmates were also relocated to a different facility as a result of the riot, the state security ministry said. 

The inmates fought and set fire to the facility after demanding that authorities allow human rights activists and the press inside the prison, alleging the criminal group “Grupo Sombra” was abusing and extorting inmates, El País and the Associated Press reported. 

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The prison was holding 778 inmates in June — more than the 735 inmates it was designed to hold, according to the AP.

Veracruz is one of the most violent states in Mexico, El País reported. Days before the riot, a taxi driver was shot and hospitalized. But later, the alleged hitman pretended to be the victim’s relative and killed him at the hospital where he was recovering, authorities alleged, El País reported.