A fire broke out at a prison in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, injuring 20 inmates and one prison warden due to smoke inhalation, according to Turkish officials.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said the inmates and warden are in the hospital, and none are in serious condition. The fire has since been extinguished, but the cause is still undetermined.
“Everything has been brought under control,” Bozdag said on Twitter.
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HaberTurk broadcaster said prison personnel initially tried to extinguish the flames that broke out in a ward at the Umraniye prison themselves. However, it got out of control, forcing them to call the fire department, according to the Associated Press. All other inmates were transferred to another confinement area during the fire.
Several fire trucks were dispatched to the scene, including some from neighboring communities. Two ambulances and a prison transport van were also on the scene, according to video footage the Associated Press said came from the private DHA news agency.
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Bozdag returned to his post as justice minister days ago after former Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul resigned. Bozdag had served in the position from 2013-2015 and 2015-2017, according to Reuters.
“We know our people’s expectations from the law, and we will work to realize these expectations positively as much as we can,” Bozdag said during his reinstatement ceremony. “May God give us fortune, let us do what is right, and keep us from doing wrong.”
