Two guards dead and several injured in riot and fire at juvenile correctional center in Guatemala, Sunday
Two jail monitors died after riot at Central Correctional Stage II prison in San Jose Pinula, Guatemala, Sunday
Inmates at the prison, which holds adults and juveniles, started a fire and police threw tear gas canisters
Inmates set mattresses alight and climbed to the roof of the facility in attempts to escape
Rescuers said the two security guards who were killed had been beaten to death
The incident came two weeks after unrest at a state-run children’s shelter resulted in a fire that killed 40 girls
Rioters demanded that fellow gang members from other jails be transferred to Central Correctional Stage II prison
Inmates from Barrio 18 allegedly, threatened to kill members of rival gang Paisas if they didn’t take part in the riot
First responders help a woman who fainted in the riots
Witnesses reported that the riot began Sunday afternoon at the juvenile detention center in San Jose Pinula when the scheduled visits were over.
The Stage II Detention Center is located close to the Virgen de la Asuncion shelter for abused teens, where on March 8 a fire resulted from a resident attempting to flee the facility, leaving 40 girls dead and sparking protests against President Jimmy Morales’ administration and outrage over what has been dubbed ‘state-sponsored femicide’.
When the riot, which witnessed fires being started around the facility, erupted, several juveniles at the Stage II prison in San Jose Pinula tried to climb over the facility’s barbed wire in an attempt to escape during the riot.
The National Civil Police confirmed that the death of two monitors were in the riot.
Officials said inmates also started a fire in part of the prison, and police threw tear gas canisters seeking to regain control
Several juvenile delinquents attempted to escape during a riot at Centro Correccional Etapa II prison in San Jose Pinula, Guatemala, on Sunday evening . These detention center inmates try to scale the razor sharp wires as they make their escape bid in the melee
During the riot, the juvenile inmates reportedly took seven facility guards hostage. They were beaten and had their radio transceivers taken away.
Inmates made determined escape bids [photo], as they tried to scale the prison barbed wire perimeter
As the juvenile delinquents climbed the facility’s fences, riot police surrounded the property to stop them from fleeing the area.
Riot police sorround the detention center as inmates tried to escape
Firefighters sorround a victim outside a boy’s reformatory in San Jose Pinula, Guatemala on Sunday, where a riot and fire broke out on Sunday
Red Cross personnel evacuate another casualty during sunday’s riot at a reformatory for young men, in San Jose Pinula, Guatemala, on Sunday
Officials said inmates also started a fire in part of the prison, and police threw tear gas canisters seeking to regain control.
During the riot, the young people reportedly took seven facility monitors hostage, who were beaten and had their radio transceivers taken away.
Police guard the detention center after the riot
It is believed that the prisoners involved in the riots were juveniles. The National Civil Police (PNC) announced that there are 47 young people from the ‘Barrio 18’ – one of Central America’s most notorious gangs – in the facility.
Riots broke out after inmates demanded that they be allowed to receive food parcels and cook their own meals.
They also demanded that fellow gang members from other jails be transferred to Central Correctional Stage II prison.
Leave a Reply