Prisoners Agree to End Deadly Brazil Jail Riot

Southern Brazil's bloody prison uprising eased Monday as Brazilian authorities arrived at a deal with the leaders of the rioting prisoners who killed four inmates, two of whom were beheaded, and held two guards hostage.

Even though the agreement seems to have put an end to the unrest that began Sunday, tensions persisted with the inmates still fearing a security crackdown any moment, the New York Times reports.

Elson Faxina, a spokesman for the Parana state attorney's office, informed that an agreement was signed to end the instability at the prison in the southern city of Cascavel and that many prisoners were being transferred to another jail, AFP reports. She further said: "After that, the two guards who were held hostage will be freed."

Faxina added that police still hadn't entered the jail to gauge the amount of damage and find out if there were more victims. But, the Parana State authorities believe that as many as 20 of the 24 wings of the Cascavel prison were destroyed in the uprising.

Authorities said that around 200 prisoners, who were being threatened by rival gangs at the correctional facility, have already left the prison to be transferred to other units. And, another 600 inmates will be shifted to other prisons across the state in the coming days, BBC reports.

The inmates had been unhappy about the way the prison was run, as well as about the standard of food and hygiene there. During breakfast Sunday, the inmates overpowered guards and the violence escalated leading to the riot. According to an official with the guards' union, only 10 wardens were on duty at the time.

Two prisoners were beheaded in the first round of violence, while two others were thrown off the top of the cellblocks by rival gangs. This asserts that rivalries between competing prison gangs also played a role in the riot.

Prison authorities said that some of the demands of the inmates were: improved facilities, better quality food and more flexible visiting hours.