Two inmates died and six others were injured when a group of prisoners at Belfast Correctional Centre in Mpumalanga started a fire in the early hours of Saturday morning, the correctional services department said.
“A rapid response of correctional officials helped to save many lives, as the fire was extinguished before spreading to other cells,” the department said in a statement.
The injured were transported to the Witbank provincial and Belfast local hospitals.
“Two inmates with higher degree burn wounds were taken to Witbank provincial hospital where they are still receiving high-level treatment, while other inmates were treated at Belfast hospital and returned to the correctional centre, with only one still [being] treated for smoke inhalation.”
A preliminary report showed the incident started shortly after midnight in a cell accommodating eight inmates.
Correctional Services National Commissioner Zach Modise expressed shock at the incident, and sent a high-level team led by a deputy commissioner to investigate.
A SA Police Service (SAPS) team had also started an investigation and the incident had been reported to the Judicial Inspectorate of Correctional Services (JICS), which would also conduct its own investigation in terms of the law and policy.
“This is a terrible incident that we shall investigate thoroughly with the SAPS. We will uncover what caused this and we shall take the necessary steps to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.
“We also appreciate the rapid response of our officials who acted swiftly and managed to extinguish the fire before it could consume all eight inmates and spread to other cells.”
Modise expressed condolences to the families of the deceased inmates and wished those injured a speedy recovery. A departmental delegation was sent to the families of the deceased and the injured to inform them about the incident.
The names of the deceased inmates would only be released when their next of kin had been informed.
The public works department was also on site, assessing the extent of the damage caused by the fire.
Modise urged all inmates to raise any concerns with the local management, as well as the JICS, which had independent correctional centre visitors in every centre, before embarking on any self-destructive action.
The management of correctional centres should remain responsive and alert to help prevent similar incidents. All operations at the correctional centre were back to normal, including public visits. – African News Agency (ANA)
