Sixty eight killed in Venezuelan police station riot and fire
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Families hoping for news outside the police station were dispersed with tear gas and authorities did not give information until late into the evening.
Sixty eight killed in Venezuelan police station riot and fire |
“The State Prosecutor’s Office guarantees to deepen investigations to immediately clarify what happened in these painful events that have left dozens of Venezuelan families in mourning,” said Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab on Twitter.
Venezuelan prisons are notoriously overcrowded and filled with weapons and drugs. Riots leaving dozens dead are not uncommon.
State official Jesus Santander said the state of Carabobo was in mourning after the incident in the city of Valencia.
“Forensic doctors are determining the number of fatalities,” Santander said. A policeman was shot in the leg and was in a stable condition and firefighters had extinguished the flames, he said.