A group of men armed with machine guns stormed a Brazilian prison, freeing at least 10 inmates and sparking a violent rebellion that was quelled only hours later, officials said Tuesday. One policeman and a handful of inmates were injured during the operation, she said. The remaining 600 inmates, who are crammed into cells built to hold 300, started rioting after the escape, burning mattresses and breaking windows, according to local media.
Brazilian prisons are notoriously violent, crowded and understaffed.
In February, a handful of inmates used cellular phones to incite almost 30,000 prisoners in Sao Paulo jails to rebel and take their own families hostage. Twenty prisoners were killed before the uprisings were quelled.