Death toll in Venezuelan prison overdose up to 35

Caracas: The death toll has risen to 35 from what Venezuelan authorities say was a mass drug overdose after inmates stormed an infirmary during a prison uprising.

Ruling party lawmaker William Ojeda who heads the congressional committee overseeing Venezuela's prisons says 100 other inmates are still being treated for intoxication. He says 20 of them are in critical condition.

The government said earlier this week that 13 people died during the disturbances that began Monday when prisoners launched a hunger strike to demand better conditions and force out the prison's warden.

The chief prosecutor's office on Friday said that it is preparing to file charges against the warden for the deaths.