LANSING, Kan. — Several prisoners at the Lansing Correctional Facility have started rioting Thursday afternoon, prison officials say.

Randy Bowman with the Kansas Department of Corrections said at about 3 p.m. multiple inmates got out of their cells and began to riot at the Kansas prison.

They are all located in cell house C and did not escape prison grounds, Bowman said. Staff members were able to safely leave the cell house.

It’s unclear what started the riot, he said.

As of 6 p.m. about 20 of the prisoners are still rioting and destroying property, Bowman said, but many have gone back to their cells.

Prison officials are monitoring them through video and on-site. Staff hope they will just destroy property and eventually stop, Bowman said.

Additional Department of Corrections staff from Topeka are assisting, and other law enforcement agencies are on standby.