2 approximately 21:00 hours. The inmates “yelled for help from the penitentiary police agents who did not intervene to avoid those deaths;” d) on January 2, 2002 an “assault team” of the Rondônia police entered the prison. The person in charge of that operation reported that they found 45 bodies of inmates, “some of them decapitated, others with arms and legs mutilated by use of stabbing weapons, and that others had died from wounds caused by ‘chunchos’ (stabbing weapons made by the inmates themselves).” On the other hand, the Government of the State of Rondônia issued a press release in which it stated that 27 people had died; e) after the above mentioned events, the prison authorities transferred a group of inmates to makeshift so-called “safety” cells. The inmates have also stated that the authorities have threatened to transfer them to the general pavilions; f) on February 18, 2002 the bodies of three inmates were found in a tunnel beneath one cell. Two days later, there were murder attempts against three “safety” cell inmates in the makeshift cells. On March 8, 2002 “there were new murder attempts within the prison,” and at daybreak the following day the inmates destroyed 11 cells. The aforementioned events led to the intervention of the Riot Control Company, which stated that it had taken control of the Urso Branco Prison; g) two inmates were murdered on March 10, 2002 by other inmates, “in a courtyard in the presence of the other inmates, and the special forces did not avoid this happening” –according to information provided by the applicants-; h) on March 14, 2002 the Commission requested that the State adopt precautionary measures so as to protect the life and personal safety of the inmates of the Urso Branco Prison; and i) on April 14, 2002 an inmate was murdered “as a consequence of almost 50 ‘chuncho’ stabs.” On May 2, 2002 an inmate was Murdered in the courtyard of the prison due to “chuncho” stabs. On May 3, 2002 an inmate died during an operation conducted by forces of the State Secretary for Security, Defense and Citizenry. On May 8, 2002 another inmate was murdered by means of blows with a contusive object. On May 10, 2002 an inmate was murdered and dismembered by other inmates. The Commission furthermore based its request for provisional measures on the following: a) there is sufficient supporting evidence to presume that the life and safety of inmates at the Urso Branco Prison is at grave risk. The situation is extremely grave in light of the fact that from January 1, 2002 to June 5 of the same year, “37 people have been brutally murdered within the Urso Branco Prison.” Furthermore, it has been proven that the State has not regained control as required to safeguard the lives of the inmates;