'19 killed Venezuela prison clashes'

At least 19 inmates have been killed since Sunday in armed clashes among prisoners in Venezuela's El Rodeo prison, an official said on Tuesday.

At least 19 inmates have been killed since Sunday in armed clashes among prisoners in Venezuela's El Rodeo prison, an official said on Tuesday.

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There was "a regrettable situation that occurred on Sunday in El Rodeo where 19 inmates lost their lives," interior minister Tareck El Aissami told reporters.

It would be the deadliest prison uprising in Venezuela since 1999 when 27 inmates were killed in a confrontation with security forces, according to rights organisations.

Gunfire and explosions could be heard into the night on Monday at the prison in the northern state of Miranda, but El Aissami did not say whether the situation had been brought under control.