Scores killed in fiery Venezuelan jailbreak attempt

More than 60 people have been killed a fire that swept through the cell area inside a police station in Venezeula.

Relatives of detainees hug each other in Venezuela. Source: LightRocket

At least 68 people have died after rioting and a fire in the cells of a Venezuelan police station, an official and witnesses say.

State official Jesus Santander said the state of Carabobo was in mourning after the attempted jailbreak in the city of Valencia.

"Forensic doctors are determining the number of fatalities," Mr Santander said.

Officers stand guard near the police station. Source: LightRocket

A policeman was shot in the leg and was in stable condition, as firefighters had extinguished the flames, he said.

Prisons in Venezuela are notoriously overcrowded and filled with weapons and drugs.

"There are people who are inside those dungeons and the authorities do not know they exist because they do not dare to enter," said Humberto Prado, a prisons rights activist.