41 convicts killed in fire at Indonesian prison

An Indonesian prison fire killed 41 convicts on Wednesday, and injured numerous others.

A government minister announced the 41 deaths after the Class 1 Prison of Tangerang caught fire 1:45 a.m. in Indonesia, Reuters reported.

Local outlet Antara News reported the fire was most likely caused by an electrical short circuit, but authorities are still investigating the scene. 

Some prisoners who were able to escape were treated for their injuries by the Tangerang Class 1 prison’s medical team and others were taken to the Tangerang Regional Hospital.

“We’re working together with relevant authorities to look into the causes of the fire and of course formulating prevention strategies so that severe catastrophes like this won’t happen again,” Indonesian law and human rights minister Yasonna Laolysaid said in a statement, according to Reuters.

A prison department spokeswoman told the local outlet there were 13 guards on duty when the fire broke out.

The guards were not able to unlock all the cells before the fire spread, leaving some victims’ bodies so burnt they could not be identified.

When the fire broke out, the prison was overcrowded and housed inmates in the facility for drug-related charges.

One block had 122 prisoners when it was only supposed to hold 38. 

Two of the prisoners who died were from other countries — South Africa and Portugal.