A fire tore through an overcrowded Indonesian prison in the early hours of Wednesday when most inmates were asleep, killing 41 people and injuring dozens of others, an official said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze — which was mostly contained within one block that housed prisoners jailed on drug charges — at around 3 am (2000 GMT Tuesday) and evacuated the victims.
Television footage showed a massive fire raging through the prison block with thick smoke billowing from the building.
“Forty died on the scene and one died on his way to the hospital,” said Yasonna Laoly, Indonesia’s justice minister, adding that eight were seriously injured and 31 sustained minor injuries.
Jakarta police chief Fadil Imran earlier told media that 72 had minor injuries.
Authorities were still investigating the cause of the incident at Tangerang Penitentiary, just outside the capital Jakarta, but suspected an electrical fault may have been to blame.
“Based on early observation, it is suspected (the fire) happened because of a short circuit,” Imran said.
Laoly said the prison’s electrical system had not been upgraded since it was built over 40 years ago, in 1972.