2010 Santiago prison fire

2010 Santiago prison fire
Date December 8, 2010 (2010-12-08)
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 fourth floor during a fight between rival gangs. An improvised flamethrower was reportedly used, setting mattresses and other flammable material alight.[2] Those killed were trapped behind closed gates.

Local firefighters took around three hours to bring the fire under control.[1][3]

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.[4] According to Chile's Fundacion Paz Ciudadana, the prison's capacity is 892, but was heavily overcrowded with 1,654 inmates.[1] An investigation found out there was not a suitable emergency procedure in place.

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

Wikinews has related news: Huge fire in Chilean jail kills 83; 21 injured
  1. 1 2 3 4 "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.
  2. ↑ "Inmates ‘treated like animals’ in Chilean prisons". Newint. December 6, 2012. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  3. ↑ "Chile's worst prison fire kills 81 inmates". 9 December 2010. Retrieved 14 June 2017 – via Reuters.
  4. ↑ "Chile prison fire kills 83 inmates, Pinera promises reform". Retrieved 14 June 2017.

Coordinates: 33°29′55.1″S 70°38′44.5″W / 33.498639°S 70.645694°W / -33.498639; -70.645694

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.