More than 50 dead in Tunisian prison fire

More than 50 inmates were killed Saturday in a fire at a prison in Monastir, in eastern Tunisia. An independent activist who is in the resort town, told RFI there is a heightened climate of fear.

Reuters/Zohra Bensemra

The blaze is believed to have been caused by an inmate who set alight a mattress in a bid to escape. He was being held in a dormitory housing nearly 90 people. Most of the victims died of severe burns or asphyxiation.

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Interview: independent activist and eyewitness Marwaz Zaabar

Daniel Finnan

The fire comes as Tunisia is still reeling from the ousting of President Zine Abidine Ben Ali after protests against his rule.

Independent activist Marwaz Zaabar, who is in Monastir, described to RFI the scenes inside the town.

“People are running away. We can hear the sound of gunshots in the air. Bands of people who had guns are trying to burn everything,” she said.

“Yesterday the President said that all of the prisons who were part of this (ongoing) agitation are out of the prison, but no. I have a very dear friend who is an activist, who was arrested last week, and we don’t know anything more about him.

"This is being organised by people who’s aim is to establish a disturbance on Tunisian society. Some people say it's being controlled by ex-President Ben Ali - but we still don't know the truth.

"What I can confirm is that soldiers are trying to control everything. In the hospital, there are almost 56 dead people."

Dr Ali Chatli, head of the forensic medicine department at Fatouma Bourguiba hospital, 160 kilometres south of the capital, Tunis, said that prisoners also panicked because they heard shots fired outside the jail.