Sixty-nine people have been injured in a blaze in Gitega, Vice President Prosper Bazombanza said.
At least 38 people have been killed in a massive fire that engulfed a crowded prison camp in Gitega, Burundi, according to Vice President Prosper Bazombanza.
The blaze, which started around 4am (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday, left 69 others injured and destroyed several areas of the site.
Bazombanza, who visited the scene along with several other ministers, did not say what could have caused the fire.
One inmate said the prisoners had died in the blaze, while witnesses said the seriously injured were taken to hospital by police and military vehicles.
“We started screaming that we would be burned alive when we saw the flames rise sharply, but the police refused to open the doors of our premises, saying ‘these are the rules we have received’,” the detainee told AFP. telephone organization.
“I do not know how to escape, but some prisoners were burned.
The facility housed more than 1,500 inmates by the end of November, according to prison officials, a maximum of more than 400.
Most of the prisoners are men, but there is also a group of women.
The same prison in Gitega was hit by another fire in August, according to the interior ministry, which said it was due to a power outage.
No injuries were reported during the operation.
