North Qld prisoner dies after assault

A prisoner at a north Queensland jail has died after being assaulted, allegedly by another inmate.

The 48-year-old inmate was found unconscious at Townsville Correctional Centre on Tuesday morning, a Queensland Corrective Services spokesman said.

Attempts to resuscitate him failed and medical staff declared him dead, the spokesman said

Homicide detectives from Brisbane are investigating and a 41-year-old man "is currently assisting with inquiries", police said in a statement.

The Townsville Correctional Centre is a high-security prison but has an adjoining low-security farm facility.