More than 100 prisoners were evacuated from their dormitories in a Zabaikalsky region penal colony on Friday after a fire broke out due to a short circuit in a storeroom.
According to prosecutors, the fire broke out at 4:15 p.m. local time in a second-floor storeroom where inmates' outdoor clothes were stored in the Siberian region's Prison No. 5, Interfax reported.
One hundred and six prisoners were in their dormitories at the time.
Seven prisoners suffered injuries after smashing prison windows and climbing out. They are receiving medical treatment for cuts and grazes of varying degrees of severity, the report said.
Prosecutors stressed that there were no fatalities and that firefighters were able to control the blaze half an hour after arriving on the scene.
The evacuated prisoners are being resettled in Prison No. 5's remaining dormitories, the report said, adding that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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