Dozens of people yesterday stormed Rubavu prison and the nearby Rubavu hospital to get updates on the status of their family members following Monday’s fire outbreak that gutted the facility.

Two of the three-block prison were burned down with latest figures indicating that five inmates died and 60 injured. Property belonging to 2,000 inmates was completely destroyed.

"Fire started shortly after a light went on and off in one of the rooms. When it (fire) broke out, we tried to put it out but in vain,” said Theogene Ndayambaje, one of the inmates and the executive secretary of the Rubavu prison.

Police in the Western Province yesterday said they were still investigating the cause of the fire but suspected it might have been due to electric circuit.

It was hard to immediately put out the fire because there was no access road for fire fighting vehicles, authorities said.

Residents worry

At Rubavu Hospital where the injured were rushed for treatment, prisons authorities, medics and local leaders were busy attending to distraught relatives who wanted more information on their family members.

 "It happened when I was on my way to see my husband, I saw the blazing flames in the sky, I don’t know whether he is among the victims,” said Dancille Ntibaringanira from Nyabihu District.

"We just want the officials to organise a visitation day soon so we know the fate of our relatives,” she added.

Govt intervention

The Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs has extended immediate support to the inmates. Antoine Ruvebana, the Permanent Secretary, said the ministry had provided basic needs worth Rwf200million for the inmates.  

"We have provided 1,000 plastic sheets, mats, blankets, buckets, spoons among others,” Ruvebana said, adding that all the 2,000 affected inmates would benefit from the basic materials.

Maj. Gen. Paul Rwarakabije, the Commissioner General of Rwanda Correctional Services said it was unfortunate that fire gutted the facility just a couple of weeks after Muhanga district also caught fire. He, however, stressed the two fire incidents were not related.

He said the Correctional Services is working hard to create access roads to ease movement of fire fighting vehicles which failed to reach the facility to put out the fire.

Rubavu prison has a capacity to accommodate 5,000 inmates – only males.  

However, when the fire incident happened, there were about 4,000 inmates inside, according to the officials.