Fire at prison kills 5 inmates in western Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Fire started by rioting prisoners at a penitentiary in western Indonesia has killed five inmates.

Police say the fire at Malabero prison in Bengkulu on Sumatra Island began Friday night after officers of the anti-narcotics agency entered the facility and took a drug kingpin.

Regional police chief Brig. Gen. M. Ghufron says the inmates were believed to be acting in solidarity with the kingpin, who was allegedly controlling the business from inside the prison.

One prisoner is being treated for injuries while 252 others have been moved to Bentiring, another prison in the same town.

Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws. It has intensified drug raids in the country, where a number of users has increased significantly from 4.2 million to nearly 6 million last year.