Pordenone prison inmate dies after cell fire

A 19-year-old inmate of Egyptian origin died from carbon monoxide poisoning after setting fire to his mattress and belongings in a cell at the Pordenone prison on Monday night. The young man reportedly barricaded himself in the bathroom of his cell, using a rudimentary weapon and a gas canister to threaten prison police.

While prison officers managed to rescue three other inmates from the cell, the smoke density proved fatal for the 19-year-old, who died during transport to the hospital. Two other detainees suffered mild intoxication and were treated at a hospital.

Authorities have seized the cell as part of an investigation by the State Police and the Prosecutor's Office. A central focus of the inquiry is whether the mattress, which is legally required to be fire-retardant, complied with safety standards or if its rapid combustion contributed to the fatality. The Sappe prison police union has raised concerns regarding the dangerous conditions in which officers must operate and the broader issue of heat-related crises in Italian prisons.