22 Dead in Prison Break in Cereso, Mexico [Updated]

The Cereso prison in Gomez Palacio, in the state of Durango, Mexico, was the scene for a massacre on Tuesday, December 18.

Officials announce that the death toll at the prison has been raised from 17, as we previously reported, to 22 victims.

According to the Durango state Public Safety Department, 13 inmates and 9 guards have lost their lives in the escape attempt from the Mexico prison.

The number differs from the one we published yesterday, as it appears some of the men involved in the shootout suffered severe injuries. They received treatment, yet not all survived the wounds.

The International Business Times details that the prisoners attempted to escape from the No. 2 facility at Cereso. At around 5 p.m., they were cornered by security guards while trying to climb over the back walls.

The Public Safety Department presented the incident as a "massive prison break," in which inmates somehow got ahold of firearms and exchanged fire with prison guards.

"The inmates started to shoot with firearms toward the guard towers and the guard areas," a source described the incident.

Guards fired warning shots into the air when they noticed what was going on. As it wasn't stopping the attempted escape, they started firing at the prisoners. That is when they responded, opening fire on the guards and the watchtowers.

The same publication clarifies how the riot was stopped. Prison authorities called in the military for assistance. As army officers arrived, they covered every exit, surrounding the prison. It allowed authorities to jump in and take back control of the penitentiary, reports say.

An investigation is on its way to determine how they managed to have weapons in their possession. Police believe that the jailbreak is related to local drug cartels.

UPDATE: 10.30 a.m. The death toll in the Gomez Palacio has just increased to 24, according to Que. Four prisoners and two guards are still fighting for their lives, Public Security Secretary of Durango, Jesus Antonio Rosso, says.

An investigation reveals that only 2 of the 9 guards that perished were shot, while the rest of the guards suffered fatal blows inflicted with blunt objects.