Colombian prisoners holding 900 visitors hostage

The authorities in Colombia have begun negotiations with prisoners at a jail in the southern city of Popayan who are holding around nine-hundred visiting women and children hostage.

The inmates took control of the jail on Sunday and prevented the visitors from leaving.

They say they won't release them until their demands are met.

The prisoners are calling for better conditions at the overcrowded prison, which has seen a number of uprisings and mass escapes.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service