Armed confrontations between gangs in Colombia’s largest prison has left at least 30 inmates injured, local media reported Satuday.
The violence took place on Friday morning when members of two rival gangs, some armed with knives and firearms, attacked each other in the Bellavista prison in Medellin.
One of the most seriously injured was an inmate who had to be taken to hospital after being shot in the head. His situation had reportedly stabilized by Saturday.
A prisoners’ rights campaigner told weekly Semana that the prison has witnessed tensions between inmates for a long period of time. The campaigner said most of the strain was caused by serious overcrowding, claiming that 500 inmates are living in the space built for 120.
The Medellin ombudsman told newspaper El Colombiano Saturday that calm had returned to the prison.