Jan. 2 (UPI) -- At least nine prisoners were killed and 14 were injured after rival gangs battled Monday at a Brazilian prison, according to authorities.
The riots began after a group of armed inmates invaded a wing controlled by a rival gang at a prison in Goias state. Officials said the attackers set mattresses ablaze, fired weapons and burned the bodies of the dead.
More than 100 prisoners escaped during the deadly clashes, which left one inmate decapitated. Officials say 29 of the 106 escapees were recaptured Monday. More than 125 others fled during the riots, but returned voluntarily.
Riots are common in Brazilian prisons, which are notoriously overcrowded.
One year ago, a prison riot at a penitentiary complex in Amazonas state caused 56 deaths. Dozens more died at a prisons in Roraima state and Rio Grande do Norte.