Fire at County Jail Leaves 8 Inmates Dead
Eight inmates died when they were trapped inside a county jail by a fire, authorities in Bakersville said.
Several inmates and two or three employees were injured at the Mitchell County Jail, county officials said.
The fire was reported about 10:05 p.m. Friday, when 15 to 20 people were inside the jail, a county spokesman said. The jailer who reported the fire said it had trapped about 15 inmates. Firefighters said at least 10 inmates were injured. The cause of the fire was not known.
Bakersville is about 40 miles northeast of Asheville.
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