Prince Muhammad Bin Fahd, Emir of the Eastern Province (EP), has ordered a full probe into the deadly fire that erupted at the Ahsa prison on Sunday night, killing seven inmates and injuring at least 19 others, including three guards. Chief of the Prisons Authority Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Harthi, was quoted on Monday by the SPA as describing it as “deliberate fire”. Four of the dead prisoners were Saudis and the other three were foreigners, but their nationalities were not disclosed. Ward 1 in the prison soon caught fire after a fight among the inmates started. It was not known yet what caused the fight, but the five inmates who started it were reportedly unhurt. The fire was believed to have been set to the blankets and mattresses inside the ward. A special investigation committee from the Prison Authority, the General Investigation and Prosecution Authority, the EP Emirate, the EP Police Department, and the EP Civil Defense has been instructed to start investigating the incident, said Al-Harthi during his inspection visit of the prison on Monday. The prison which housed 1275 inmates when the incident occurred was immediately and securely evacuated, eliminating the chances of more deaths and injuries, he said. Relatives of the prisoners will be able to contact them within the next few days, he said. When asked about the capacity of the prison, he said one more building to accommodate 700-800 inmates would be ready within two weeks, he said. There is a plan in place to start building eight new prisons by the end of this year across the nation, in addition to eight others which have already been started, he added. The Prisons Authority will have built 35 new prisons by 2009 as specified in the current 8th five-year-plan, he said. Maj. Gen. Al-Harthi visited the three guards at hospital. Also, chief of the EP prisons Maj. Gen. Muhammad Al-Nufai paid them a visit. Eight inmates are still hospitalized, one is in critical condition. - Okaz __
