Picture shown is for illustrative purposes only.

A violent clash at a prison in Mexico's central state of Jalisco on Friday left eight inmates dead and another eight prisoners hospitalised with injuries, state security officials said.

During the incident at a jail in the Puente Grande complex, three people were killed by firearms and four others died from beatings, Jalisco's prosecutor Gerardo Octavio Solis said in a press conference.

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Authorities later confirmed another death, after nine people were initially hospitalized. They said the fight broke out as inmates participated in a sports activity.

Officials said jail staff never lost control of the facility or were threatened, and that they recovered two firearms and a homemade explosive device.

Five people were detained for having a possible role in the confrontation. As part of the investigation, authorities said they will probe whether any public officials were involved.

Reuters