7 inmates killed in South Carolina prison riot

Seven inmates have been killed and more than a dozen others have been injured in a riot at a maximum-security prison in South Carolina, officials say. It lasted nearly seven hours.

The incident began at 7:15 p.m. ET on Sunday when an altercation was reported at the Lee Correctional Institution, which is a men’s prison in Bishopville, a city about 47 miles (76 kilometers) northeast of Columbia.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections said multiple inmates attacked each other during the fight, which involved three housing units. The incident was declared over after nearly 7 hours, at 2:55 a.m.

Authorities confirmed that 7 inmates were killed in the riot, making it one of the deadliest incidents at a U.S. prison in recent years. Many of those killed appeared to have been stabbed, a coroner said.

At least 17 other inmates were injured and required medical attention, according to the Department of Corrections. It added that none of the staff members or police officers were injured.

There was no word on what may have caused Sunday’s riot.