Prison fire kills 81 in Chile.

At least 81 people were killed and several more injured in a fire at a prison in Chile, state television reported Wednesday.The fire broke out in one of the towers of the San Miguel prison, south of Santiago, the Chilean capital.Fourteen people were hospitalized in critical condition, Health Minister Jaime Manalich said. Four rescuers were also injured."This is a terrible tragedy," Manalich said.


The prison housed 1,961 inmates at the time of the fire, said Felipe Bulnes, the justice minister. The prison was built to hold only 1,000 inmates, CNN Chile reported.

The call came in at 5:48 a.m., the fire department said. The cause of the fire, which broke out on the fourth floor, was still under investigation, the department said.Meanwhile, a large crowd of inmates' relatives gathered outside the prison, worried about the fate of their loved ones.

"Why won't they give us information?" one woman asked.