41 killed, dozens injured in prison fire near Jakarta

Jakarta, Sep 8 (IANS) At least 41 people were killed and about 80 others injured as fire broke out at a prison in Tangerang town near the Indonesian capital Jakarta early on Wednesday, officials said.All the injured were taken to nearby hospitals and health clinics, and eight of them are in serious condition, according to Jakarta police chief Inspector General Fadil Imran, Xinhua news agency reported.The fire occurred at 2:20 a.m. local time and was extinguished at 3:30 a.m. Electrical short circuit is believed to be the cause of the fire, said Jakarta police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Yusri Yunus.The overcrowded block, which was designed for holding 40 prisoners, accommodates 122, said Rika Aprianti, a spokesperson for the prison department at Indonesia's Law and Human Rights Ministry.Many of the prisoners held in the affected block were those involved in drug and narcotics related cases, according to her.
--IANS int/shs/skp/