Death toll in Mexican prison fight rises to 24, inter-gang dispute suspected

Death toll in Mexican prison fight rises to 24

MEXICO CITY — The death toll from a brawl at a northern Mexican prison has risen to 24 after the body of another inmate was found.

The attorney general of northern Durango state says 23 inmates died of knife wounds, and one of a bullet wound.

Federal prosecutors are investigating the brawl, the second deadly fight in less than a year at the Durango prison, which houses 2,025 inmates.

Local news media reported Thursday that the fight pitted members of the Sinaloa drug cartel against inmates loyal to the Gulf cartel.

But Durango Attorney General Daniel Garcia told reporters Thursday he could not confirm which gangs were involved.

Ten of the dead faced kidnapping charges. Six were being held on drug-related charges and four on homicide charges.