8 killed in prison hostage incident in Russia's Volgograd region

Four staff members at a maximum-security prison (IK-19) in the Volgograd region died and four others were injured after four inmates took the employees hostage, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) said in a statement Friday, reported Xinhua.

The four prisoners took eight prison employees and four convicts hostage. All of the four convicts were injured, according to the Federal Penitentiary Service.

"The criminals inflicted stab wounds of varying severity on four employees, three of whom died. Another four who resisted were hospitalized, one of whom died in the hospital," it said.

The four perpetrators were eliminated in a special operation carried out by federal prison staff and the Russian National Guard.

The Russian Investigative committee has initiated a criminal case into the incident.