At least 32 inmates have died in a fire during an uprising at a prison in Argentina, authorities have said. Argentine television station TN said prisoners began rioting after a request for longer visiting hours on Sunday for Mothers' Day was rejected.
TN said about 200 inmates rebelled at the prison in Magdalena, south-east of the capital, Buenos Aires.
A BBC correspondent in South America says riots and fires are increasingly common in Argentina's jails.
The jails have become overcrowded in the last decade and the country has faced a serious crime wave following the collapse of the economy four years ago, our correspondent says.
Rights row
The TN network said the blaze swept through the jail after prisoners set fire to mattresses.
Television pictures showed anxious relatives waiting outside the prison, which was ringed with police and national guards.
Earlier this year, eight people died after inmates rioted at Argentina's Cordoba prison.
Local reports say hostilities arose over demands for better visitation rights and improved living conditions for the reported 1,700 inmates.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
