| Date | December 8, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Location | Santiago, Chile |
| Casualties | |
| 81 people killed | |
| 19 people injured | |
The 2010 Santiago prison fire was a conflagration in the San Miguel prison in Santiago, Chile, in which 81 inmates were killed, making it the country's deadliest prison incident.[1]
The fire broke out at 5:30am Chile Daylight Time (8:30am GMT), on the third floor, reportedly during a fight between rival gangs who set mattresses alight. Local firefighters took around three hours to bring the fire under control.[1]
At least 81 inmates were reported killed, and 14 suffered life-threatening burns, according to the Health Minister Jaime Mañalich. One firefighter and two prison guards also suffered lesser injuries.[2] According to Chile's Fundacion Paz Ciudadana, the prison's capacity is 892, but was heavily overcrowded with 1,654 inmates.[1]
An investigation is under way into the cause of the blaze. The incident prompted Chile's president Sebastián Piñera to call for an end to the overcrowding in the country's prison system, saying: "We cannot keep living with a prison system which is absolutely inhumane. We are going to speed up the process to ensure our country has a humane, dignified prison system that befits a civilised country."[1]