At least

49 inmates died

and more than 30 were injured in an escape attempt from a

Tuluá

prison , in southwestern Colombia, in the early hours of Monday, said a spokesman for the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (Inpec).

"So far there are 49 dead," said the source from the prison body.

This is a "preliminary" report that "may change."

The tragedy apparently began with a brawl or an escape attempt in which

some inmates set mattresses on fire

, sparking a fire that spread across much of the prison.

"We regret the events that occurred in the Tuluá prison, Valle del Cauca

," Colombian President Iván Duque wrote on his Twitter account.

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