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| Carabobo fire: Scores feared dead in Venezuela police station cells | Carabobo fire: Scores feared dead in Venezuela police station cells |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A fire at a police station in the Venezuelan city of Valencia, in Carabobo State, has killed at least five prisoners in holding cells. | A fire at a police station in the Venezuelan city of Valencia, in Carabobo State, has killed at least five prisoners in holding cells. |
| However, some reports suggest that dozens of detainees could have died from smoke inhalation. | However, some reports suggest that dozens of detainees could have died from smoke inhalation. |
| The blaze reportedly started after prisoners set fire to mattresses in an attempt to break out. | |
| Police used tear gas to disperse relatives who had surrounded the station and were trying to break in. | Police used tear gas to disperse relatives who had surrounded the station and were trying to break in. |
| State Official Jesus Santander confirmed a police officer had been shot, and said fire fighters had got the blaze under control. | |
| He said forensic doctors were working to determine how many people had died. | |
| Unofficial death estimates in the media range from 60 to 78. | Unofficial death estimates in the media range from 60 to 78. |
| Venezuela's prisons are notoriously overcrowded and are known to be filled with weapons, drugs and gangs. | |
| The country has struggled to accommodate its prisoners amidst an ongoing economic crisis, leading to convicts being held at temporary facilities such as the one in Valencia. | |
| Carlos Nieto, head of the association Una Ventana a la Libertad (A Window on Freedom), says some police facilities are overfilled at five times their capacity. |