At least 49 inmates killed during prison melee in Mexico


In Mexico, at least 49 inmates were killed during a brawl that broke out late Wednesday at an overcrowded prison.
The melee at the Topo Chico prison in Monterrey lasted for 30 to 40 minutes, and left 12 people injured, five seriously, Nuevo Leon state Gov. Jaime Rodriguez said. The inmates used bats, sticks, and blades in the riot, and set fire to a supply room. Rodriguez said the brawl stemmed from a dispute between two rival members of the Zetas drug cartel over who controlled the prison. The prison houses 3,800 inmates, double its capacity, with 100 guards, Rodriguez said. No inmates escaped, and federal police and troops were deployed to restore order.
One of the inmates was shot and killed by a guard protecting a group of women, Rodriguez told Radio Imagen. Outside the prison, family members demanded to know the fate of their relatives inside, including Ernestina Grimaldo, whose son is a prisoner. "We want to know how our relatives are doing because they are telling us that there are more than 50 dead and no authority is giving us answers," she told Agence France-Presse. Pope Francis is traveling to Mexico on Friday, and will visit another infamous prison in Ciudad Juarez.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Why social media is obsessed with cortisol
In The Spotlight Wellness trend is the latest response to an increasingly maligned hormone
-
Peter Mandelson called Epstein his 'best pal' in birthday note
Speed Read The UK's ambassador to Washington described the late convicted paedophile as an 'intelligent, sharp-witted man'
-
A Spinal Tap reunion, Thomas Pynchon by way of Paul Thomas Anderson and a harrowing Stephen King adaptation in September movies
the week recommends This month's new releases include 'Spinal Tap II,' 'One Battle After Another' and 'The Long Walk'
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school mass
Speed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bail
Speed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'