Iraq: Six women prisoners killed in Baghdad prison riot, fire

At least six female inmates were killed yesterday by rioting and fire in a prison in Adhamiyah, north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

In a statement to Anadolu Agency, Police Captain Ahmed Khalaf said that the prison – which was specifically for homeless female prisoners – experienced riots, though he did not elaborate on the cause of the disturbance. The riots then seem to have sparked a fire, causing an unspecified number of inmates to suffocate.

Khalaf added that civil defence teams and ambulances rushed to the scene, adding that the authorities have opened an urgent investigation into the incident.

Iraqi security forces take all displaced or homeless people from the streets and places them in a prison, which is run by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

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