Brazilian prison riot leaves at least 34 dead

Police entering a Brazilian prison following a three-day rebellion found the bodies of at least 34 inmates, some of them mutilated.

Police were still securing the Benfica detention centre in Rio de Janeiro and feared they could find more bodies, said Raphael Martins, a Rio police spokesman.

The revolt, which lasted more than 60 hours, ended last night after police gave in to a demand by inmates to separate prisoners belonging to different gangs.

A prison guard who had been held hostage was shot dead by inmates on Sunday as he tried to escape the prison in the northern Rio district of Leopoldina.