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Inmate of the Tacumbu detention center on a roof during the riots
Photo: Jorge Saenz / AP
Six people died during a prisoner revolt in Tacumbú prison in Paraguay's capital Asunción.
The dead are inmates, said public prosecutor Giovanni Grisetti on ABC TV.
The exact circumstances of death are so far unclear.
According to local media, the revolt occurred around 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
Some detainees are said to have brought parts of the prison under their control and taken several guards hostage.
The inmates apparently also started a fire, and reports said that the facility was thick with smoke.
The fire brigade and police forces were on site.
There was tumult outside the detention center as inmates' families gathered there to ask for clarification about what had happened in the prison.
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Indignant relatives in front of the Tacumbú prison
Photo: Jorge Saenz / AP
The motives for the revolt are still unclear.
The inmates reportedly called for better conditions.
After negotiations with Justice Minister Cecilia Pérez, the prisoners released their hostages.
The Tacumbú correctional facility is notoriously overcrowded.
Several inmates are forced to sleep on the floor due to lack of space.
In 2016, six prisoners were killed there in a fire.
As recently as January, at least 75 prisoners were tumbled in a mass escape from another prison in Paraguay.
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ala / dpa