A fire broke out overnight at Bancali prison: one inmate died, nine officers were intoxicated.

A 35-year-old Sardinian inmate died last night from a fire that broke out inside a cell in the Sai unit of Bancali prison, a health facility dedicated to inmates with serious illnesses.

The man had been there for some time due to physical problems and, according to an initial reconstruction released by the independent penitentiary police union (SAPPE), he barricaded himself in the room: first he closed the cell's security door, then he blocked the entrance and set fire to the furnishings and bed, likely using a lighter and oil. When the officers managed to enter, the inmate locked himself in the bathroom and died there, likely due to the fumes and the burns he suffered.

Nine officers were poisoned during the rescue attempt. Given the intensity of the fire , firefighters from the Sassari provincial command responded, followed by emergency medical personnel from 118, the State Police, and the Carabinieri. I've already told you about the poisoning.

The SAPPE "expresses its deepest condolences for the victim and extends its deepest sympathy to the prison officers serving at the Bancali prison, who faced this exceptionally serious emergency with courage, professionalism, and a spirit of service, intervening from the very first moments in an attempt to contain the fire and safeguard the safety of the facility."