2010 Santiago prison fire
| 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]
The incident prompted Chile's president Sebastián Piñera to launch an investigation and he called 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]
See also
References
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Wikinews has related news: Huge fire in Chilean jail kills 83; 21 injured |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Chile prison fire kills scores of inmates". bbc.co.uk/news. December 8, 2010. Archived from the original on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ↑ Chile prison fire kills 83 inmates, Pinera promises reform - UPI.com
Coordinates: 33°29′55.1″S 70°38′44.5″W / 33.498639°S 70.645694°W