At least 16 killed in El Salvador prison fire

[News_Editor]

At least 16 killed in El Salvador prison fire

2010-11-10 22:13:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

SAN SALVADOR (BNO NEWS) -- At least 16 inmates were killed and scores were injured on Wednesday after a fire at a prison in the Salvadorian town of Ilobasco, the country's Red Cross said.

Red Cross spokesperson Carlos Cruz told local media that 16 people were killed and 22 were injured after the fire that started at around 5:30 a.m. local time, possible due to an electrical explosion, but local officials did not rule out a riot as the cause.

The fire broke out at a jail for inmates who committed crimes as juveniles located 55 kilometers (34 miles) northeast of country's capital of San Salvador.

Deadly prison incidents are not uncommon in the Central America country. In August 2004, at least 31 inmates were killed in clashes in La Esperanza. In January 2007, 20 inmates died during a riot at an overcrowded prison in the department of Santa Ana.

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