MEXICO CITY, July 30 (Reuter) Fifteen Mexican prison guards needed hospital
treatment on Wednesday after inmates who cook their meals spiked the food
with drugs in a failed escape plan, local television reported.

None of the inmates at the prison in the northcentral city of Zacatecas
managaed to escape, but the guards were taken to the hospital, the Televisa
network news programme ``24 Hours'' reported.

Dr. Miguel Ramirez Aleman, who was interviewed on the programme, said the
guards could have suffered severe side effects from the barbiturates,
including heart attacks.

Most of the guards were treated and released, although Televisa interviewed
one, Mariano Hernandez, from his hospital bed. Hernandez was barely coherent.

It is a tradition in the Zacatecas prison for inmates to prepare meals for
the guards, Televisa said, but this apparently was the first time they had
attempted to spike the food in an escape bid.

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