Burundi Prison Fire Kills 38 Inmates

PIXABAY ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - As many as 38 inmates were killed and dozens injured when the main prison in the Burundian capital, Gitega, was engulfed in flames.

Burundi's Vice President Prosper Bazombanza said 12 people died of asphyxiation and 26 others lost their lives from their injuries.

Bazombanza, quoted by Antara via Reuters, Tuesday, December 7, did not mention the cause of the fire. Meanwhile, two local residents said the fire broke out before dawn.

Many of the dead were elderly inmates, a resident, who arrived at the prison while the fire was still raging, told Reuters.

The resident admitted that he saw a number of bodies being carried by ambulance from the fire site.

In August, a fire also broke out in the same prison. Authorities said the incident was caused by an electrical problem. There were no casualties in that incident.