Hundreds of inmates riot in Russian prison - reports

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Several hundreds inmates have rioted in a prison in southern Russia, while police numbers have been beefed up to quell the protests, several media outlets reported on Friday.

TASS news agency said the riot involving around 200 inmates was directed against the prison regime, while the Baza telegram channel, citing unnamed sources, said about 600 prisoners were involved.

"The situation is stable and so far is under control," the human rights ombudsman in the Republic of South Ossetia, Tamerlan Tsgoyev, was quoted as saying by TASS.

He said police had surrounded the prison.

Baza said special police forces were preparing to storm the building containing the rioters in the penal colony in the city of Vladikavkaz.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; EDiting by Giles Elgood)

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