Prison officials taken hostages in Moscow

Moscow, Sep 4 (Reuters) Inmates in a Moscow pre-trial detention centre today seized at least two hostages, including a chief warden and his deputy, a spokesman for Russia's prison administration said.

''It was an isolated incident,'' Alexander Sidorov said.

''Officials are now negotiating with hostage-takers and the administration has control of the situation in the detention centre.'' Sidorov did not give any details of the incident, which took place in the prison in southeastern Moscow. ''I also cannot give you now a precise figure of hostages,'' he said.

Interfax news agency earlier quoted sources in Russian law-enforcement bodies as saying that five people have been injured and five hostages taken. But the agency also did not give any details of what had happened in the detention centre.

Hostage-taking is not unusual in Russian prisons, many of which are badly managed and maintained.

REUTERS AB HT2128