Istanbul: A fire broke out at a prison in Istanbul on Friday, leaving at least 11 inmates hospitalized with smoke inhalation, a Turkish broadcaster reported.
The cause of the blaze in Umraniye prison, on the Asian side of the city, wasn’t immediately known.
Prison inmates in Turkey have set mattresses and other bedding alight in the past to protest conditions.
Several firetrucks, including from neighboring districts, were dispatched to the prison, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The broadcaster HaberTurk said none of the inmates were in serious condition.
According to its report, prison personnel initially tried to douse a fire that broke out in one of the wards, but were forced to call firefighters after it grew out of their control. The inmates were evacuated to another confinement area, it said.
Prisoners’ relatives and friends gathered at the entry to the prison for news of their loved ones, HaberTurk reported.
The prison has a capacity to hold 1,000 inmates, according to its website.
Video footage from the private DHA news agency showed at least two ambulances and a prison transport vehicle enter the gates of the prison compound as gray smoke was seen billowing from behind a building.
It also showed a firefighter using a water cannon at the top of ladder to douse the fire.
SOURCE: AP NEWS
