(State) BISHOPVILLE, S.C. Seven inmates were killed during fights that lasted more than seven hours at a South Carolina prison Sunday night and into Monday morning, according to officials.

At least six emergency agencies responded to a "mass casualty incident" at Lee Correctional Institution in Lee County that resulted in the seven inmate deaths and 17 other inmates requiring medical attention, the S.C. Department of Corrections announced early Monday morning.

Though most of the autopsies have yet to be performed, it appears that many of the prisoners died from stabbing or slashing wounds from "shanks," Lee County Coroner Larry Logan said. The official cause of death will not be determined until after the autopsies.

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