Flames extinguished after nine injured in Iran prison blaze

A charred building after a fire at Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran (IRNA/AP)

A blaze at a notorious jail housing political prisoners and anti-government activists in Iran’s capital injured at least nine people but was extinguished after several hours and no detainees escaped, state media said on Sunday.

Flames and smoke rising from Tehran’s Evin Prison had been widely visible on Saturday evening, as nationwide anti-government protests triggered by the death of a young woman in police custody entered a fifth week. In online videos, gunshots and explosions could be heard in the area of the jail.