At least 23 people have died in one of Bogotá's largest jails after what the authorities are calling a mass breakout attempt amid rising tensions over coronavirus.
Colombia's Justice Minister Margarita Cabello said 83 inmates were injured during a riot at La Modelo prison.
Inmates at prisons across the country held protests on Sunday against overcrowding and poor health services during the coronavirus outbreak.
The justice ministry is investigating.
Ms Cabello said 32 prisoners and seven guards were in hospital. Two guards are in a critical condition.
She said the violence was a coordinated plan with disturbances reported across 13 of the country's prisons.
Denying claims of unsanitary conditions amid fears of a coronavirus breakout, she said: "There is not any sanitary problem that would have caused this plan and these riots.
"There is not one infection nor any prisoner or custodial or administrative staffer who has coronavirus."
She said prisoners had run amok and some would be charged with attempted murder, and damage to property.
A large number of relatives gathered outside the gates of La Modelo prison to await news of their loved ones. They said they had heard of shots being fired after the security forces arrived.
Videos posted to social media showed inmates setting fire to mattresses.
The country's 132 prisons have an 81,000-inmate capacity but house more than 121,000 prisoners, according to figures from the justice ministry.
So far, there have been 231 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Colombia and two people have died.
The country is set to begin a nationwide quarantine from Tuesday which is expected to last 19 days. It will restrict residents' movements with the exception of medical staff, security forces and pharmacy and supermarket staff.
People over the age of 70 have been told to stay indoors until the end of May.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51999594

Terrible. May God save us from this virus.

clevvermind:
Terrible. May God save us from this virus.

Dont call God
He gave you sense to elect good brainy leaders

But you use religion and ethnicity sentiments to elect cows

Wow..this is preposterous! Don't they realize they are under national punishment? What are they fighting for? To come and add to the pandemic?
How did those security lose guards over this inmates? Biko kwa...they had better done something about the security over there. Ka yawa ofu.

Prison break part...

See ratio of capacity to usage, 81k:121k. Nigeria will just be like 50k:1mil. Lol. The prisoners should just realise that there are already in quarantine. No need to panic.

both of you no well. No leader can stop ✋ the spreading of this virus.

ZombiePUNISHER:


Dont call God
He gave you sense to elect good brainy leaders

But you use religion and ethnicity sentiments to elect cows

Jewessgratitudd:
Wow..this is preposterous! Don't they realize they are under national punishment? What are they fighting for? To come and add to the pandemic?
How did those security lose guards over this inmates? Biko kwa...they had better done something about the security over there. Ka yawa ofu.

Prison break part...

they want to take advantage of the worldwide panic situation and escape.

Kingjames96:
they want to take advantage of the worldwide panic situation and escape.

Exactly.

i hope this virus does not turn us to animals because if this continues, there will be mass robberies, looting of shops & stores, and other barbaric ideas.