25 inmates brutally killed in Brazil prison riots as over 100 visitors taken hostage

At least 25 inmates were killed in deadly clashes between rival factions at the Agricultural Penitentiary of Monte Cristo prison in Brazil on Sunday (16 October). Seven prisoners were beheaded, while six were burned to death, the commander of the Police Special Operations Battalion (Bope) said.

The incident in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state, took place during visiting hours when some prisoners locked in wing 14 broke padlocks and attacked those held in wing 12. The rioters took over 100 visitors – mostly women – hostage as the clashes escalated.

The attackers were armed with knives and sticks, the wife of one of the prisoner's, who was present during the attack, said. Inmates from wing 14 reportedly wanted the Judge of Criminal Executions to be present at the jail to hear their demands.

Soon, a team of the special unit entered the facility and freed the hostages. Authorities said that the road to the prison was closed and teams from the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML) were dispatched to the prison to treat those injured.

The incident follows the 14 October attack on terrorist Valdir Pereira da Rocha, who was jailed for pledging allegiance to Islamic State (Isis) and discussing bomb attacks on Rio de Janeiro.

Da Rocha has been on life support since the incident at the Public Jail of Varzea Grande, in the Mato Grosso region of Brazil.

Brazil is notorious for jail riots and many prisoners have been killed in deadly clashes between rival factions housed at the same facility.