Rwanda: Emergency aid for detainees moved from fire-destroyed prison

On 5 June, a fire partly gutted Muhanga Central Prison (formerly Gitarama Central Prison), in Rwanda's Southern province. The prison, which can hold at least 6,000 people, saw the accommodation of 3,500 detainees go up in flames. Eyewitnesses described the blaze as "extremely severe." The cause is still unknown. According to the spokesperson for the Rwanda Correctional Services, the detainees were not in their cells when the fire started, as routine fumigation was taking place to protect them against harmful insects.

© Comité international de la Croix-Rouge - jeudi 12 juin 2014