MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. An investigation has been launched at the penitentiary facility in the Volgograd Region following the hostage-taking incident, a spokesman for the law enforcement told TASS.

"Investigative actions have begun at the penal colony. Investigators are working onsite," the spokesman said, adding that investigators are questioning other inmates ad searching the colony for prohibited objects.

Several inmates at a maximum-security penal colony (IK-19) in the city of Surovikino in the Volgograd Region took hostage the facility’s staff, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) told TASS earlier. One penitentiary officer has been killed, and several more have been injured.

A criminal probe has been launched on charges of collusive taking hostage two or more people by a group of individuals with the use of weapons to force a citizen to do something as a condition for the hostage release, which entailed a human death (part 3, article 321 of the Russian Criminal Code). According to Russia’s National Guard service, four inmates were neutralized by the service’s snipers. As of now, the hostages have been released.