A security official in the state of Nuevo Leon in northern Mexico says 13 inmates have died in a prison riot which authorities ended with lethal force.

Spokesman Aldo Fasci says the riot occurred at the state prison in Cadereyta, adding that the death toll could climb because eight people are in critical condition.

All afternoon Tuesday, desperate families battled with authorities outside the prison gates, demanding information about their relatives inside.

Several hours of attempted negotiations failed and police using non-lethal force were unable to quell the riot. So authorities decided at around 5 p.m. local time to use lethal force to protect the lives of the guards and the prisoners, Fasci told a news conference.