Indonesia Prison Fire Kills At Least 41 Inmates, Dozens Injured: Official

The blaze at the Tangerang penentiary, just outside of the capital Jakarta, broke out in the early hours when most inmates were asleep.

A fire tore through an Indonesian prison on Java island on Wednesday, killing 41 people and injuring dozens of others, an official said. The blaze at the Tangerang Penitentiary, just outside the capital Jakarta, broke out in the early hours when most inmates were asleep. Rescue teams were able to put out the fire, which was mostly contained in one block that housed prisoners jailed over drug charges, at around 3:00 am (2000 GMT Tuesday) and evacuated the victims. "Forty-one inmates died, eight were badly injured and 72 others sustained minor injuries," Jakarta police chief Fadil Imran told a press conference.