(CNN Spanish) – A fire at a prison in Colombia has so far killed 51 people and injured 30, Director-General of the National Institutes of Prisons and Prisons (INPEC) Tito Jesசிd Castellanos said Tuesday.
According to the official, an attempt was made to riot in Pavilion No. 8 of the Tuluva prison in the Valle del Cauca department with 1,267 inmates. He said he was receiving support from the fire department and police, and that the cause of the riot was being investigated.
“We’ve talking about medium security prisoners, but we still identify the victims. Some prison guards are injured, but we have no victims among them. The fire has been contained, and at this time we have not recorded anything. The prisoners escaped.” Said Castellanos.
The official explained, “At around 2am a situation arose between those who had lost their freedom and it later turned into a riot. The guard entered to control, and they set fire to some mattresses, which unfortunately caused 51 deaths, at this time, 49 people and two hospitals and 24 others are currently in the hospital in Tulua.
Castellanos added that most of the victims died from inhaling toxic gases.
For his part, President Ivan Duke lamented the events: “I have been in contact with inDinpec, General Tito Castellanos, and have issued instructions to carry out investigations to clarify this dire situation. My solidarity with the families of the victims,” he wrote. On his Twitter account.
Meanwhile, Colombian President-elect Gustavo Pedro has sent his “condolences” to the families of prisoners killed in the fire, warning that what happened could “force a full review of prison policy in the country.”
“The Colombian government sees prison as a place of revenge, not for rehabilitation. It urges a full review of prison policy in the face of what happened in Tulua, such as the massacre in La Madello, the humanitarianization of prisons and the dignity of prisoners,” Pedro wrote on his Twitter account.
The Colombian government sees prison as a place of revenge, not rehabilitation.
What happened in Tulua, like the massacre in La Madeleine, compels a complete overhaul of prison policy in the face of the humanization of the prison and the dignity of the prisoner.
– குஸ்டாவோ பெட்ரோ (@petrogustavo) June 28, 2022
