Iraqi prison fire kills nine inmates

Iraqi prison fire kills nine inmates

2011-09-20 06:46:46 GMT+7 (ICT)

BAGHDAD (BNO NEWS) -- At least nine inmates were killed on Monday and more than a dozen others were injured when a fire broke out at a prison in eastern Baghdad, authorities said.

The Iraqi Ministry of Justice said that an electrical fault sparked the fire at Baladiyat prison in the capital city. Ministry spokesman Haidar al-Saadi said that smoke from the fire hampered emergency efforts, according to Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Saadi added that the prison, which used to be a store before it was rebuild to be a prison, is unfit for its current purpose. A special committee will investigate the accident.

Approximately 430 prisoners were up until recently detained in Baladiyat, but the Ministry of Justice declared recently that they had reduced the number of prisoners to 250 in the past weeks. No more details were available.

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