Prison riots in Colombia over virus fears leaves 23 dead

iStock [illustration]

At least 23 people have died and 83 wounded in one of Bogotá's largest prisons.

According to reports, inmates were protesting against overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

Thirty-two prisoners and seven security guards are hospitalised, Justice Minister Margarita Cabello said in a video, claiming that the violence was a coordinated plan across 13 of the country's prisons.

She, however, denied claims of unsanitary conditions and confirmed there were no infections in any of the prisons. 

More from International News

News

  • 'Peace is not far away' says Erdogan after Putin meeting

    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, fresh from a meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin, said he hopes to discuss a Ukraine-Russia peace plan with US President Donald Trump, adding that "peace is not far away".

  • UAE, Serbia deepen ties with new political agreement

    His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Đurić. have agreed to deepen political coordination after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during talks in Abu Dhabi.

  • UAE strengthens child protection measures

    The UAE has introduced changes to its laws governing the care of children of unknown parentage, expanding custody options and strengthening child protection measures.