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Portuguese, South African among 41 killed in Indonesia jail blaze: minister
Yasonna told a news conference the foreigners were from South Africa and Portugal.
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Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly speaks during a meeting with the House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs in Senayan, Jakarta on June 22, 2020. (Antara/Puspa Perwitasari)
T
wo foreign nationals were among 41 inmates killed in a fire at an overcrowded prison in Tangerang, Banten on Wednesday, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said.
Yasonna told a news conference the foreigners were from South Africa and Portugal.
At least 41 people were killed when a fire tore through the overcrowded prison in the early hours of Wednesday when most inmates were asleep. Dozens of others were injured, an official said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze -- which was mostly contained within one block that housed prisoners jailed on drug charges -- at around 3:00 am (2000 GMT Tuesday) and evacuated the victims.
Television footage showed a massive fire raging through the prison block, with thick smoke billowing from the building as firefighters raced to put out the flames.
"Forty-one inmates died, eight were badly injured and 72 others sustained minor injuries," Jakarta police chief Fadil Imran told a press conference.
Authorities were still investigating the cause of the incident at Tangerang Penitentiary, just outside the capital Jakarta, but suspected an electrical fault may have been to blame.
Dinas Penanggulangan Kebakaran dan penyelamatan (Gulkarmat) DKI Jakarta turut Berduka Cita atas terjadinya Kebakaran di Lapas Kelas 1 Tangerang (Blok C-2) pkl. 02.00 dini hari di Jalan Veteran No. 2 Kel. Babakan, Kec. Tangerang, Kota Tangerang (8/9/2021) #JAKI #infokebakaran pic.twitter.com/SXDejflKqj
— Pemadam DKI Jakarta (@humasjakfire) September 8, 2021
"I have checked the scene. Based on early observation, it is suspected (the fire) happened because of a short circuit," Imran said.
The penitentiary department's website showed that the jail had just over 2,000 inmates, more than three times as many prisoners as it was designed to hold.
The block where the fire broke out had a maximum capacity of 40 inmates but housed 120, penitentiary directorate general spokesperson Rika Aprianti told Metro TV.
