Four inmates killed in blaze at Tehran prison

A blaze at a notorious jail housing political prisoners and anti-government activists in Iran’s capital killed four inmates, the country’s judiciary said on Sunday.

Flames and smoke rising from Tehran’s Evin Prison had been widely visible on Saturday evening, as nationwide anti-government protests triggered by the death of a young woman in police custody entered a fifth week.

In online videos, gunshots and explosions could be heard in the area of the prison.

The blaze was extinguished after several hours and no detainees escaped, state media said.