BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) -- A fire killed 32 prisoners on Sunday after battling inmates set mattresses aflame and briefly took control of a local jail, in one of Argentina's worst outbreaks of prison violence in recent decades.It was the third and bloodiest such incident since February in Argentina, where problems common to Latin America such as jail overcrowding and gang violence persist.Eduardo Di Rocco, the justice minister in Buenos Aires province, denied initial local media reports that inmates had revolted to have visiting hours extended."It appears the 32 dead perished from carbon monoxide inhalation," Di Rocco told local television station TN, referring to the prison in Magdalena, 75 miles (120 km) southeast of the capital of Buenos Aires.He attributed the incident, which lasted through the night and was quelled on Sunday morning, to inmate infighting.Several family members said they saw corpses "piled on top of one another" when they entered the jail in the early morning hours."This was a total massacre," said one woman, who at midday was anxiously waiting outside the jail along with hundreds of other family members to find out which inmates had died.Six prisoners were injured but none of them seriously, the justice ministry said. Four prison guards suffered burns and two were wounded, including the warden, who was in grave condition after inmates struck his head with a wooden object.Nearly 1,050 prisoners were housed at the Magdalena jail, according to the provincial justice ministry. The fighting broke out in a minimum-security cell block, where prisoners set small fires to keep guards from intervening.The blaze asphyxiated many inmates and spread to a nearby kitchen and crafts workshop. Prisoners in other areas grew agitated, beating on their cell bars and breaking some locks.Smoke was seen rising from the prison compound and inmates were filmed jumping up and down on top of a low building. Guards finally re-established order, penitentiary service officials said.Di Rocco told reporters that officials were working to identify the bodies and inform relatives.Copyright 2005 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.