A prison riot in eastern Lebanon resulted in the deaths of at least three inmates and injuries to others on Friday, as confirmed by a security official speaking to AFP.

The official, who requested anonymity due to not being authorized to speak to the media, explained that the conflict erupted between security personnel and prisoners at the Zahle city facility after guards thwarted an attempted prison break.

During the course of the riot, detainees set fires within their cells, causing widespread chaos and tragically resulting in the loss of three lives, as stated by the source.

The state-run National News Agency reported a significant presence of army and police forces at the prison, which had been cordoned off, and it noted that 16 additional individuals sustained injuries.

Reports in local media indicated that the prison held more than 600 detainees.

The fire rapidly spread to the upper floors of the building, causing extensive damage. The official added that "complete cells were consumed by the flames and are no longer usable."

Lebanon's prison system grapples with severe overcrowding, with roughly 80 percent of inmates languishing in pre-trial detention, according to interior ministry data from 2022