A confrontation between rival gangs in an overcrowded Peruvian prison left five inmates dead and at least 18 others injured Tuesday, officials said.
Police had largely re-established control at Lurigancho Prison, but were still meeting pockets of resistance, said Wilfredo Pedraza, the national prison director. "What we have is a conflict between organized Mafias in the prison that are trying to assume control of each others' wing by force," Pedraza told CPN radio.
Jose Avila, of Peru's human rights ombudsman's office, placed the number of wounded at 24 and said all of the dead or wounded had been shot.
Congressman Alcides Chamorro, who heads the legislature's justice commission, blamed the clash on overcrowding and lax security. The prison was designed for 1,800 inmates but holds more than 7,000 and lacks metal detectors, he said.
