Chile prison fire kills 83

SANTIAGO, Chile - A blaze in a prison San Miguel in the Chilean capital killed 83 passengers and left 21 passengers or waking, the hospitalized, said President Sebastián Piñera.

Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images relatives of prisoners called their names outside the San Miguel prison.

The fire broke out at 4 pm local time on Wednesday after a battle among inmates. Prison crowding contributed to the high number of casualties, said Mr Piñera. The prison was built to house around 1,000 prisoners, but almost 2,000 inmates are held.

A huge fire breaks out in a prison in the Chilean capital of Santiago, at least 80 passengers were killed and injured 20. Video courtesy of Reuters.

The fire that put out on the fourth floor at the tower no. 5 which was limited to San Miguel prison Wednesday morning after fire fighters in the prison, crashed, said Fernando Echeverría, the regional Governor for Metropolitan Santiago.

Overcrowding is common in Chilean prisons and the Government builds for years new prisons were to resolve the problem. Chilean prisons currently have the capacity, about 30,000 passengers to keep, but actually House approximately 53,000 occupant.

"This is that very long been a problem." We have a prison that worthy of our country, "Mr Piñera reporters outside one of the hospitals was where crashed the injured State had." Increase the number of deaths could since 14 of injured suffered severe trauma, officials said.

European Pressphoto Agency relatives of inmates require information outside of the San Miguel prison in Santiago.

The accident comes in the aftermath of the 8 8 earthquake to hit the nation in February and the August cave in left captured 33 miners 70 days under the Atacama desert. This latest tragedy is expected fuel changes to the prison system.

Mr Piñera said in a televised press conference "conditions for the criminal justice system are extremely inhumane and we go to prison reform give a major push" flanked by Justice Minister of Felipe Bulnes and Health Minister Jaime Manalich.

Since Piñera administration took office in March, Mr Bulnes has repeatedly said his Ministry search would, the current prison system overhaul.

Randomly occurred San Miguel fire on the anniversary of the worst fire in Chilean history occurred in 1863 and killed more than 2,000 people. It led to the creation of the national firefighters Corp., said Mr Piñera. Chile firefighters are all volunteers.

Hundreds of family members of the San rushed Miguel inmates in prison early Wednesday and then several public hospitals in the hope, reported obtaining messages on their nationals, State television TVN.

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