133 Dead in Dominican Republic Prison Fire

[Bluebear]

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Rival gangs fighting for control of a provincial Dominican Republic prison set pillows and sheets ablaze Monday, starting a fire that killed at least 133 people after rescuers were thwarted by a jammed entrance, officials said.

Only 26 inmates were rescued from the public jail in Higuey, 75 miles northeast of the capital on the island's eastern tip, said National Police Chief Manuel de Jesus Perez Sanchez.

Four inmates suffered bullet wounds, but he had no details.

Guards could not rescue prisoners from the blazing cell block because the entrance was jammed, National Police spokesman Gen. Simon Diaz said. He did not know why the entrance was jammed.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20050307/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/dominican_prison_fire

[Kagemusha]

1. Before anyone else says it...

Yes, yes, this sounds immensely suspicious, but if the general had been honest, he'd have said, 'Obviously, to keep us out.' The problem is there's only two reasonable reasons why that would be so.

a) To keep guards out of a gang vs. gang prison dispute.
b) The real issue was not a gang vs. gang prison dispute but a gangs vs. guards dispute, even if a gang vs. gang issue sparked it.

So obviously the allegation prisoners set this stuff on fire has to be somewhat doubted until it's checked out.

[pie]

2. Such a horrible way to die

You know the fire is coming but cannot escape!