A fire outbreak at the maximum security prison in Cameroon’s port city of Douala on Thursday has lead to the hospitalisation of three prisoners with serious burns, a local fire chief said.
“The Firefighters backed up by police were able to curb its spreading beyond New Bell jail, which is located in a densely populated neighbourhood of the commercial capital, close to the central market.
“The rescue task became more difficult by the layout and the large number of inmates,” fire brigade chief Kadrey Abdiel said. Africa-News reports.
Public crowds of onlookers had gathered outside the prison watching the incident happening where a large plume of dark smoke billowed from the roof.
A few inmates had tried to climb over the prison’s walls, but police around the perimeter stopped them escaping, regional Governor Samuel Ivaha Diboua told journalists, although It is yet to be confirmed as to the cause of the fire outbreak. Africa-News reports.