Six killed in Philippines prison riot

Six inmates have been killed and 33 wounded during a fight in an overcrowded jail in the Philippines, in the second such incident in as many weeks, Report informs referring to TRT World.

The deadly brawl happened on January 10 between rival gangs at Caloocan City Jail in the National Capital Region, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology spokesman Xavier Solda said.

An investigation was under way into the cause of the violence that Solda said started as a fight between two inmates before others joined the fray. It is not clear what weapons were used.

A ban on family visits since the start of the pandemic may have been a factor, Solda said.

"It's been almost two years that we don't have physical visitation in our facilities because of the Covid-19, so we can't set aside the angle that this could be one of the reasons why others joined in the fight between the two PDLs (persons deprived of liberty)," Solda told AFP news agency.