Prison fire in Dominican Republic

GANG members fighting in a provincial Dominican Republic prison set pillows and sheets ablaze, starting a fire that killed at least 58 people, officials said yesterday.

Only 26 of 148 inmates were rescued from the public jail in Higuey, in the eastern part of the Dominican Republic, said National Police spokesman General Simon Diaz.

Higuey’s chief firefighter Nestor Vera said, “Most of the prisoners we’re seeing are dead or badly wounded. Up to now we’ve pulled out 58 bodies but we know that there are many more because they’re piled up on top of each other.”

Dozens of inmates began fighting in the jail on Sunday night, said national director of prisons General Ramon de la Cruz Martinez. The fight was broken up by guards, but at about 12.30am prisoners began rioting, setting fire to pillows and sheets in their cells.