A fire at a police station in Venezuela has left 68 people dead, government officials say. The blaze reportedly started after prisoners set fire to mattresses in an attempt to break out Wednesday, and followed a disturbance in which a police officer was shot in the leg by a detainee. The fire quickly spread, according to reports, and desperate rescuers broke through external walls to try and save inmates, local officials said. Venezuela’s jails and cells are notoriously dangerous and overcrowded, with one watchdog group saying 65 people died in cells last year due to violence, disease, or malnutrition.
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