Several injured as rioting inmates barricade themselves inside Ukrainian prison (VIDEO)

Inmates have staged a riot in a jail in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, taking six hostages and injuring four prison guards, officials confirmed. A car was also set on fire inside the penitentiary centre.

Clashes erupted in the jail located close to the city center just before noon Monday. Prisoners were thought to be protesting over the poor food quality, local media reported.

A video, allegedly shot inside the prison, shows inmates building barricades while a voice in the background says the rioters are standing against the guards who are “cracking” the inmates’ heads “for nothing,” lamenting arbitrariness and corruption in the facility.

Meanwhile, footage from outside the building showed people gathering around the prison as plumes of smoke were rising above it. Photos from the scene suggest police were detaining several people, yet it was not immediately clear who they were.

Special forces managed to take control of the situation within a few hours and freed the hostages, three medical personnel and three guards. Four jail staff were injured in the skirmish, but there were no fatalities, officials said.

Initial reports suggested that around 500 people took part in the rioting, however that number was later revised down to some 100 people.

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