At least 10 people have been killed and 16 others injured in a brawl Thursday at the El Castillo prison in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, El Pais daily reports.

National Guard troops were sent to the penitentiary to stabilize the situation.

Among the dead was a visitor who had come to visit relatives in the prison.

After law enforcement intervened, the penitentiary was taken under control.

The injured were given first aid, but prison visits scheduled for that day were canceled.

The Sinaloa state prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the incident.

The brawl had occurred amid an ongoing security crisis in Sinaloa, which is, among other things, linked to the confrontation between criminal gangs.