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Turkish prison set ablaze again in inmate protest

Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation - Mon, 18 Jun 2012 04:55 PM
Author: Reuters
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ISTANBUL, June 18 (Reuters) - Inmates started another fire on Monday at a prison in southeast Turkey where 13 inmates had been killed in a blaze at the weekend, officials and Turkish media reported.

Nobody died in Monday's blaze at the facility in the province of Sanliurfa, bordering Syria, the local governor said. The fire was brought under control after around one hour.

On Saturday night, prisoners had set fire to their bedding in a dispute linked to poor conditions at the jail, leading to the deaths of 13 people.

As the fire raged on Monday, ambulances ferried casualties away from the jail as fire engines shot jets of water over the prison walls to fight the blaze, live television footage showed. Thick black smoke rose from the prison buildings.

It was not immediately clear how many had been injured.

Turkish media reported that inmates had started the fire to protest the deaths of their fellow prisoners and overcrowding at the prison. Officials were not immediately available to comment.

Anti-government chants rang out from within the prison, where more than a 1,000 inmates were held in a jail with capacity for around 300 people.

Outside the prison, riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to quell an angry crowd of inmates' relatives. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo)

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