Fire kills 51 after obvious riot try at Colombia jail

A fireplace at a jail in southwestern Colombia has killed a minimum of 51 individuals and injured greater than 20 others, authorities mentioned Tuesday.

The director of the nationwide jail system, Tito Castellanos, informed Radio Caracol that it’s not clear if the entire useless had been prisoners. He initially mentioned 49 had died, however the Justice Ministry later raised the toll to 51.

Police block entry to a jail that was the positioning of a lethal fireplace in Tulua, Colombia, Tuesday, June 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Juan Jose Horta)

He mentioned the fireplace broke out throughout what seemed to be an tried riot early Tuesday on the medium safety jail within the metropolis of Tulua.

But Justice Minister Wilson Ruiz mentioned two inmates had a battle and one in every of them set fireplace to his mattress, beginning the fireplace.

Ruiz added that greater than 20 inmates had been being handled for accidents in hospital, and mentioned that two jail guards sustained minor accidents.

President Ivan Duque expressed condolences to the households of those that died and mentioned he had ordered investigations into the trigger.