Brazilian police say a prison riot by nearly seven-hundred inmates has ended with the release of some sixty hostages.

The rebellion began on Sunday afternoon when five armed men posing as visitors overwhelmed guards at the Piracicaba jail, about one-hundred-and-sixty kilometres from Sao Paulo.

A shootout followed in which one prisoner was killed and several guards seriously injured.

In the confusion, prisoners seized visiting relatives as hostages. Correspondents say riots and escape attempts are frequent in Brazilian prisons, where inmates complain of overcrowding, brutality and corruption among guards.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service