Seven police killed in Mexico prison riot

Seven police personnel were killed on Sunday trying to put down a riot at a prison in eastern Mexico, authorities said, the latest outburst of deadly violence in the country's jails.

According to media reports, the deceased officers had gone to La Toma prison situated in the mountain town of Amatlan de Los Reyes in Southern Mexico to restore the law and order in the prison.

It described some of the prisoners as highly dangerous.

The authorities have not yet released any details about any injured prisoners.

Inmates were reported to have broken free from their cells.

The facility is located in the municipality of Amatlan de los Reyes, about 140 kilometers (85 miles) south of the state capital, Xalapa.

Mexico's prisons are frequently hit by riots, killings and jailbreaks.

Criminal gangs often hold de facto control inside, operating with the complicity of corrupt officials.

The office of Mexico's human rights ombudsman acknowledged the problem in its 2017 report on the country's prisons. It also found the country's jails suffer from overcrowding, poor conditions and violence.