Chile prison on fire

The BBC’s Gideon Long says it is believed prisoners set fire to mattresses

A fire in a prison in the Chilean capital Santiago has left at least 81 inmates dead, officials say.

The blaze broke out in the San Miguel prison at 0530 local time (0830 GMT), with television pictures showing smoke billowing from the building.

Hundreds of inmates were evacuated, with up to 14 prisoners said to have life-threatening injuries.

President Sebastian Pinera described the prison system as “inhumane” and said reforms should be speeded up.

He said the fire was a “hugely painful tragedy”.

“We cannot guarantee the number of dead will not rise,” he said.

The president at one point said 83 had died, but officials later revised this figure down.

Reports said the fire broke out after a fight between rival gangs, who set mattresses on fire.

Health Minister Jaime Manalich said this was the deadliest incident in the history of the Chilean prison service.

[Source]

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