At least eight prisoners have died from a fire at Tehran’s Evin prison which broke out over the weekend, Iran’s judiciary said on Monday.
Footage of the fire at the notorious prison in the Iranian capital, accompanied by sirens and gunfire, circulated on social media on Saturday night.
“The total number of victims of the fire and the clash between prisoners has reached eight,” said the judiciary’s Mizan Online website.
It added that all the victims were being held in a section of the prison designated for robbery-related crimes.
According to Iranian media, the fire was caused by a premeditated Jailbreak and the sounds of explosions heard ringing out were inmates caught in a minefield.
Fars, a news agency linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reported that the fire was started in a clothing warehouse and that inmates had prepared weapons that they used to attempt a breakout.
“In the middle of the fire and the conflict with the security forces, some prisoners tried to escape. They entered the minefield on the north side of the prison, where there is a mountain. It is said that the explosions heard were related to this issue,” Fars reported.
