Over 40 inmates in Brazil’s prisons found strangled in cells

Relatives of inmates react in front of a prison complex in the Brazilian state of Amazonas after prisoners were found strangled to death in four separate jails (DM)

Forty-two inmates were found hang inside their cells at three different prisons in Brazil’s Amazonas state on Monday.   

All 42 prisoners were found dead in the city of Manaus and showed signs of asphyxia, according to the Amazonas state prison agency.   

According to Brazilian outlet Exame, the deaths occurred by hanging and were reported at Antônio Trindade Criminal Institute (Ipat), the Puraquequara Prison Unit (UPP) and the Provisional Detention Center (CDPM I), all located in Manaus. 

 
The stunning death toll follows just one day after 15 other others died during fighting among prisoners at a fourth prison in the same city.   

Sunday’s clashes broke out during morning visiting hours where some of the inmates were stabbed with sharpened toothbrushes, while others had been strangled.   

The deaths echo a similar rampage in 2017 when more than 120 inmates died at the hands of other prisoners during fighting among rival gangs at prisons in northern states. In those brutal murders, many of those victims had their heads cut off or their hearts and intestines ripped out.   

Secretary Col. Marcus Vinicius de Almeida said an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the fight on Sunday.   

‘Some died inside the cell with the bars closed,’ Almeida said.   

‘Some deaths occurred by asphyxiation and others by perforations with the use of ... [sharpened] toothbrush.’ 
Brazil (Daily Mail), 
28 May 2019 -