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450 hostages held in Brazilian prison

Tuesday 30 December 1997 00:02 GMT
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A group of heavily armed prisoners were last night holding hostage about 450 people in a jail in Brazil and demanded more weapons and an armoured car.

Some 15 inmates, who took control of the prison on Sunday afternoon after a failed escape, freed two women who complained they were ill, said a spokeswoman at the Sao Paulo Penitentiary Centre.

She could not confirm news reports that three children were also released from the Sorocaba detention centre, 50 miles from Sao Paulo.

About 430 of the hostages were relatives of the inmates who were visiting them on Sunday. The other 20 were prison staff. Sao Paulo, Reuters

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