MEXICO CITY, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) - At least 23 people died and 20 more were injured on Wednesday during a riot in the prison of Durango state, north of Mexico, the Mexican General Prosecutor's Office of the State said.

The rioting began at 7:00 a.m. local time (1300 GMT) at the Social Readaptation Center (Cereso) No. 1, located near the highway between Torreon city and the neighboring state of Coahuila.

Assistant Prosecutor of Durango, Ramiro Ortiz said that the death toll could rise because the riot left several injured and the situation inside the prison has not been controlled yet.

The local authority said that the riot began at the area of the charged and immediately expanded to other sections.

To the moment the authorities do not know the reason of the riot, but they think it was a fight between rival bands to take control of the prison.

Durango's Prosecutor, Daniel Garcia said that the injured will received the first aids and taken to hospitals if necessary.

Meanwhile, the relatives of the prisoners began to gather outside the prison to get information about the situation inside and the conditions of their relatives.