There was "a regrettable situation that occurred Sunday in El Rodeo where 19 inmates lost their lives," Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami told reporters, adding around 20 wounded inmates were being treated in hospitals.

The deadliest prison uprising in Venezuela dates back to 1999 when 27 inmates were killed in a confrontation with security forces, according to rights organizations.

Gunfire and explosions could be heard into the night on Monday at the jail in the northern state of Miranda, and El Aissami did not say whether the situation had been brought under control.

Inmates' family members anxiously waited outside the prison as security vehicles came and went. Many said they believed the toll had to be higher.

AFP