Rioting erupts again at Mexican prison

Unrest continues at the troubled Monterrey prison which witnessed deadly violence earlier in the week.

Family members of inmates confronted police and soldiers who rushed to the facility after rioting again broke out.

On Sunday, prisoners belonging to the Zetas drug cartel stabbed and bludgeoned to death at least 44 inmates affiliated with the rival Gulf Cartel.

During the violence, 30 Zetas members escaped the prison, allegedly with the help of guards.

Rioting erupted again on Tuesday after authorities planned to transfer many of the detainees to other facilities.

Relatives of the inmates said the guards were beating the prisoners and setting fire to their belongings.

Mexico has been plagued by serious prison violence and mass escapes as police and soldiers round up tens of thousands of drug gang members and lock them up in overcrowded jails.

In total, over 47,000 people have died in drug related killings in the five years since President Felipe Calderon took office.

Simon Hanna, Reuters.