dpa
Tehran
At least four people are dead after a fire broke out amid riots and clashes late on Saturday in Tehran’s Evin prison, the IRNA news agency reported.
The agency also reported that dozens of people suffered injuries.
Authorities provided few details on what prompted the fire or the violence.
Witnesses on Saturday reported a series of explosions at the facility, after which the fire broke out. Officials described the fighting in the prison as an internal conflict.
Earlier, the agency reported that "a group of inmates of a ward where bandits and hooligans are incarcerated” caused the unrest, which, in turn, resulted in a fire. The fire has been extinguished.
IRNA cited the Tehran prosecutor as saying that the situation was unrelated to recent protests in Iran, and that the area where the clashes took place is separate to the area where inmates incarcerated on security charges are held.
The prosecutor said the situation was now under control.
The official information on the events could not be independently verified. Videos shared thousands of times on social media showed chaotic images surrounding the prison. According to media reports, many relatives of detainees rushed to the scene out of concern.
The Evin prison is known for being used to detain political prisoners and intellectuals. Abuse and grim conditions have been widely reported there. Several dual nationals are being held in Evin prison for alleged espionage.
A number of protesters have also been taken to the prison recently for taking part in anti-government demonstrations sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for failing to follow the strict Islamic dress code for women and died in police custody.
The United States expressed concern about the situation in the prison.
"We are following reports from Evin Prison with urgency. We are in contact with the Swiss as our protecting power. Iran is fully responsible for the safety of our wrongfully detained citizens, who should be released immediately,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a tweet.