57 die in Brazil prison riot

Brasilia: At least 57 people were killed in a prison riot in Brazil's norther state of Para, authorities said.

The riot, sparked by clashes between two rival gangs, broke out at the Altamira Regional Recovery Center at breakfast time, after members of one gang attacked two prison guards to access the wing where the rival gang members were housed.

"It was a swift attack in a way, aimed at wiping out the rival members," Para prison official Jarbas Vasconcelos said.

"They went in, started a fire, killed and ended the attack. It was a directed, localized attack," Vasconcelos added.

The Brazilian government announced an immediate transfer of 46 inmates who took part in the riot.

In recent years, riots between rival gangs have become commonplace in the Brazilian prison system.

In May, 55 inmates were killed in a wave of gang-related violence at four prisons in the neighboring state of Amazonas, also Brazil's poorer northern region.