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8 December 2010
Last updated at 07:24 ET
A fire in a prison in the Chilean capital Santiago has left at least 81 inmates dead, officials say.
The blaze broke out in the San Miguel prison at 0530 local time (0830 GMT), with television pictures showing smoke billowing from the building.
Local media said hundreds of inmates had been evacuated and that at least 19 were injured, some with serious burns.
Reports said the fire broke out after a fight between rival gangs, who set mattresses on fire.
The BBC's Gideon Long in Santiago says the fire is now under control but there are chaotic scenes as relatives arrive at the prison.
He says local media are reporting that 1,900 inmates were in the prison, although it has a capacity for only about 700.
An investigation is under way into the cause of the blaze.
There were reports that prison guards had initially prevented firefighters from entering the prison, La Tercera newspaper said.
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The blaze broke out in the San Miguel prison at 0530 local time (0830 GMT), with television pictures showing smoke billowing from the building.
Local media said hundreds of inmates had been evacuated and that at least 19 were injured, some with serious burns.
Reports said the fire broke out after a fight between rival gangs, who set mattresses on fire.
The BBC's Gideon Long in Santiago says the fire is now under control but there are chaotic scenes as relatives arrive at the prison.
He says local media are reporting that 1,900 inmates were in the prison, although it has a capacity for only about 700.
An investigation is under way into the cause of the blaze.
There were reports that prison guards had initially prevented firefighters from entering the prison, La Tercera newspaper said.
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