Fire in Vught prison forces evacuation of over 160 inmates overnight
A fire in the laundry room of a standard prison wing at Penitentiary Institution Vught (PI Vught) on Saturday evening forced the evacuation of more than 160 inmates after water damage made cells temporarily unsafe, the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI) said. Most inmates were relocated within the prison system, while 132 were transferred to other penitentiary institutions, NU.nl reported.
The evacuation operation lasted throughout the night. “This was a megajob,” said facility director Carla Wijnhoven. “Everyone worked extremely hard.”
She added that the inmates involved “were very understanding and cooperated excellently. Together we have overcome this crisis.”
The final group of evacuated inmates left PI Vught at 7 a.m. on Sunday. All transferred prisoners were transported by the Custodial Transport and Support Service (DV&O).
Firefighters extinguished the blaze. It remains unclear when the affected cells can be used again. The extent of the water damage has not yet been determined, according to DJI.
