Colombia prison riot and fire claims at least 49 lives, leaves dozens injured

A riot and a fire that broke out during a prison riot in southwestern Colombia on Tuesday, 28th June, claimed the lives of at least 49 inmates, leaving dozens more injured. Tito Castellanos, the director of the National Penitentiary and Prison Institue (INPEC), said that the tragedy occurred when the rioting convicts started a fire to keep the police from entering their prison in the city of Tulua.

 180 inmates were impacted by the fire

“Unfortunately there was a riot in the pavilion number eight of the Tulua prison, where there are 1,267 prisoners, with the unfortunate result that 49 people died,” Castellanos said to La W Radio. 

He stated that another 30 people were “injured and affected by the blaze and smoke.”

According to AFP, Castellanos stated that investigators were looking into whether detainees torched their mattresses as part of an “escape attempt” or if the disturbance was started “to cover  some other situation.”

Caracol Radio reported that more than 40 people had suffered injuries.180 inmates in the prison section were impacted by the fire.

Colombia’s jail system is currently overcrowded

Castellanos commended the prison guards’ efforts to put out the fire and get the convicts to safety, despite the fact that some of them sustained injuries. Without their assistance, “the result would have been worse,” he said.

Outgoing president Ivan Duque expressed his support for the victims’ families in a tweet. 

“We regret the events that occurred in the prison in Tulua, Valle del Cauca,” he tweeted.

“I have given instructions to clarify this terrible situation. My solidarity is with the family of the victims.”

In Latin America, fatal jail uprisings are not unheard of. Since early 2021, six riots in Ecuador, a neighbor of Colombia, have resulted in the deaths of approximately 400 prisoners. According to INPEC, Colombia’s jail system has a 97,000-inmate capacity but is currently overcrowded by 16,000

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