Rebellion in Sicily prison, around 400 inmates take control of two units and injure 5 officers

A violent clash has occurred at the Piazza Lanza prison in the city of Catania, Sicily, where a large number of inmates are reported to have taken control of two units of the institution.

At least five prison police officers were injured as they tried to regain control and have been rushed to the hospital. There is still no information on their health condition.

A significant number of police forces and carabinieri units have surrounded the area around the prison, while officials are in talks with the inmates to calm the situation.

According to initial data, around 400 of the total 422 inmates held in this prison were involved in the unrest, making the situation extremely serious. The reasons for the violent clash remain unclear and it has not been specified which units continue to be occupied by the inmates.

“First of all, I want to express my closeness and full support for the injured colleagues, who were hospitalized,” said the national head of Consipe, Mimmo Nicotra.

“However, what we are seeing in Piazza Lanza is not an event that caught us by surprise, but the consequence of a tragedy foretold long ago,” he added.