/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/61385c4ee2899fff40b7a474/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=2981&cropY1=151&cropY2=1828 "Massive Fire In Overcrowded Indonesian Prison Kills 41 Inmates, Several Others Injured")
Topline
At least 41 inmates were killed and 80 other inmates were injured on Wednesday morning after a massive fire broke out in a prison near the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, in what is the latest tragedy to hit the southeast Asian nation’s overcrowded prison system that has also been severely hit by Covid-19.
Police and hospital officials store body bags of dead victims at a morgue in a local general … [+]
Key Facts
According to authorities, 80 inmates have been hospitalized, including eight with severe burns.
The fire which broke out at the Tangerang prison, located 25 miles west of Jakarta, is believed to have been caused by a short circuit in the prison’s faulty electrical system, authorities noted.
All 15 prison officers guarding the area are unhurt, officials added.
According to the Associated Press, the prison was designed to house 1,225 inmates but had more than 2,000 people incarcerated there.
Crucial Quote
Yasonna Laoly, the minister of law and human rights, visited the prison on Wednesday to inspect the damage. He said: “I convey my deepest condolences for the victims of this fire,” he said, adding that an investigation was underway. “This is a tragedy that concerns all of us.”
This is a developing story.
