A fire broke out at the Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo, on Monday.
UPDATE: Shortly after this article was published, the Department of Correctional Services issued a statement, confirming that “emergency services are on-site extinguishing the fire at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional facility in Makhado.” See the full statement below.
Fire breaks out at Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre
As reported by SABC News, plumes of thick smoke were observed emanating from the prison facility, raising concerns about the safety and well-being of inmates and staff.
As of now, there are no details on the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage.
Corrections Department confirms fire in statement
In a statement released shortly after this article was published, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) confirmed that the fire left extensive damage to “the kitchen, maintenance section and two blocks are currently affected, being the Green and Yellow centres.”
“The two centres house a total of 1 892 inmates, as 1 132 reside at the yellow centre, which is not being affected by the fire at this stage. Inmates are being moved to a safe zone inside the facility,” DCS confirmed.
The corrections department emphasised that the cause of the fire is the subject of an ongoing investigation.
“Critical at the moment is to protect lives and ensure that the fire is extinguished completely. Security has also been reinforced in order to ensure that the situation is controlled,” the statement concluded.
The correctional centre can house a maximum of 3 000 inmates and as this is a developing story, we will be closely following the developments to keep our readers informed about the situation at the prison.
Interestingly, this incident comes six years after a similar one at Kutama-Sinthumule, where inmates torched the facility and executed a daring escape.
Back then, authorities revealed a protest led by prison wardens had compromised the facility’s security and at least six inmates managed to break out.
Moreover, in March 2023, two members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were arrested for allegedly aiding six prisoners to escape from Kutama-Sinthumule Correctional Centre.
According to reports at the time, a prison bus escorting a group of inmates from Kutama-Sinthumule to Senwabarwana was ambushed by armed suspects.
Outnumbered and outgunned, the prison wardens handed over the six inmates to the suspects and they sped off in a grey sedan and white bakkie.
The whereabouts of the prison escapees remain unknown.
This is a developing story.