The authorities in Brazil say they have regained control of a prison where inmates had been holding 600 people captive for three days.

A spokesman said elite police troops had stormed the prison in the town of Sorocaba in Sao Paolo state.

Riot police have stormed the prison

According to the spokesman, there was only one injury, a policeman wounded in the leg.

Riot police had surrounded the compound since the hostage crisis began three days ago. The prison authorities set two deadlines which were ignored.

Officials warned that security forces would storm the building if the hostages were not released. Shortly before the police went in, inmates released about 40 women and children.

Among the prisoners's demands was the immediate release of those who would have a right to parole.

The hostages include hundreds of women and children

The prisoners earlier backed down on an agreement to free all 600 hostages - who are mostly relatives of the inmates - in exchange for the transfer of about 20 of their leaders to other jails.

A prisoner and two hostages were killed during the rebellion, which began on Sunday when an escape attempt by a small number of inmates went wrong. Women and children who were visiting the prison at the time were taken hostage, alongside 17 prison officials.

The prisoners took over on Sunday

The BBC correspondent in Brazil says the agreement reached on Tuesday night between the leaders of the 850 prisoners and the authorities represented a considerable climbdown by the inmates. They had originally asked for an armoured car, guns and ammunition to allow 10 of them to escape.
 

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