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Death toll in Colombia prison riot fire rises to 53

The number of inmates who died after a fire broke out earlier this week during a prison riot in the Colombian town of Tulua has increased to 53, local health authorities said

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The number of inmates who died after a fire broke out earlier this week during a prison riot in the Colombian town of Tulua has increased to 53, local health authorities said.

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A top health official said that a young inmate succumbed to his injuries on Friday in a medical centre in the neighbouring city of Cali, where other prisoners were also in intensive care units, reports Xinhua news agency.

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Minister of Justice Wilson Ruiz said on Tuesday that most of the fatalities were due to smoke inhalation after a fight between two inmates broke out and one of them lit a mattress on fire.

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The resulting blaze in the prison, which houses some 180 inmates, was brought under control by the Tulua fire department and the injured inmates were transferred to local health centres.

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