Thirteen visitors, including women and children, had been taken hostage during clashes between rival gangs in a Venezuelan prison which left 15 prisoners dead, reports said Sunday, according to dpa. The fights occurred during visiting hours in the Santa Ana prison, in the south-western province of Tachira. Prisoners battled using guns and knives, said Interior Minister Pedro Carreno. He said however the national guard had regained control of the facility by Saturday evening. The hostages had been released after two hours, the reports said. Carreno blamed paramilitary groups for the clashes, saying the state had been making huge efforts to maintain peace in the prisons "but a few organizations continue to provoke unrest." The murder of the chief administrator of the Santa Ana jail and his deputy four months ago have also been blamed on paramilitary organizations. The prison holds about 900 inmates. Venezuela has 26,000 prison inmates who live in miserable conditions that often lead to revolts.
