3 inmates killed, 9 injured in "altercation" at maximum-security prison

Three inmates have died and nine others were transported for medical treatment as a result of an "altercation" on Tuesday at a maximum-security prison in a rural mining city in eastern Nevada, the state's Department of Corrections said.

No officers were injured and the department gave no additional details about how the deaths and injuries occurred in Ely, Nevada. The department did not release the names of any of the inmates that died or the conditions of those injured.

CBS affiliate KLAS-TV has learned the altercation appeared to stem from a feud between two rival gangs and there are concerns about possible retaliation.

A spokesperson for the Nevada Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to a request asking for more information on Tuesday.

The prison remained on lockdown as of late Tuesday afternoon as authorities investigated the deaths and injuries.

Ely State Prison is the only maximum-security prison in Nevada. In December 2022, KLAS-TV reported dozens of inmates held a hunger strike over what advocates and some family members described as unsafe conditions and inadequate food portions.

The prison's website says the facility can hold 1,183 inmates and has more than 400 employee positions.

Ely State Prison hold some of Nevada's death row inmates, KLAS-TV reported. According to the Death Penalty Information Center , Nevada currently has 60 inmates on death row.