By DPA
Santiago : A fiery uprising in a juvenile detention centre in the southern Chilean city of Puerto Montt left eight inmates aged 14-18 dead and two others with irreparable brain damage, Chilean media reported.
Citing authorities, the reports said the inmates used furniture to barricade entrances to their wing of the jail and then set fire to mattresses. The obstructions blocked fire fighters from gaining entry to fight the blaze.
The victims suffered smoke inhalation and suffocated.
Relatives of the victims said the uprising was a protest over the tough conditions and overcrowding in the detention centre.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the youths. She vowed to expand efforts to modernise Chilean prisons and reintegrate young offenders into society.