Prisoner rescued from jail cell fire in Drenthe
One prisoner was injured after a fire broke out in a jail cell at the Veenhuizen detention facility in Drenthe, local media reported. The injured person was rescued from the fire in their own cell in the Norgerhaven wing, ANP reported.
The victim was treated at the scene by paramedics, according to RTV Drenthe. The prisoner was in their own cell at the time, and did not share the unit with another. The incident happened at about 6:15 a.m. on Thursday.
The fire was extinguished and the prison was not evacuated. The fire alarm was briefly escalated and more police officers were also sent to the scene.
It is at least the second incident that left a prisoner injured at Norgerhaven in the last few months. In March, one prisoner was seriously wounded after an attack by another person in custody.
The victim was left with severe facial injuries, including a broken nose. Another prisoner was found dead as the result of a suicide in October, according to the Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI).
The Norgerhaven facility houses up to 242 detainees, including 24 who are “less suitable for placement” in a general prison, the DJI said. The facility also holds up to 48 defendants in pre-trial detention while they await the outcome of their trial.
