Prisoner Dies After Burning Mattress In His Cell In Salamanca

A 39-year-old prisoner died after setting fire to the mattress in his cell.

The incident took place in Topas prison, in Salamanca, Spain, according to the ABC newspaper.

At around 8:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. in mainland Portugal) on Thursday, guards from the isolation unit where the victim was being held went to his cell after realizing that the man had started a fire.

The dense smoke made it difficult for these professionals to intervene, but they managed to remove the victim from the cell.

Emergency services performed CPR on the man, who suffered from smoke inhalation. However, after 45 minutes, he was declared dead at the scene.

The intense smoke that filled the building forced the relocation of other prisoners.

"This is a form of violence that inmates use for various purposes, such as provoking their transfer, demanding medication or attacking prison staff, putting both their own lives and those of staff at risk," the prison guards stressed in a statement.