Burundi says prison fire kills 38 inmates in Gitega

Burundi’s government says 38 prisoners have been killed in a fire Tuesday morning in Gitega, the country’s political capital

Burundi Prison Fire (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Burundi’s government says 38 prisoners have been killed in a fire Tuesday morning in Gitega, the country’s political capital.

Vice President Prosper Bazombanza announced the deaths. More than 60 other people have been injured and the death toll could rise.

The prison in Gitega is overcrowded with more than 1,500 inmates in cells designed to hold 400, according to local reports.