'We refuse to die in jail' - Argentine inmates set fire to prison in coronavirus protest

Inmates are seen on the roof of the Devoto prison during a riot demanding health measures against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Buenos Aires, Argentina April 24, 2020. ThREUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Inmates at an Argentine prison in Buenos Aires set fire to mattresses and protested on the roof of the jail, demanding some people be released due to fears of infection by the coronavirus, according to local media and a Reuters witness.

A Reuters witness outside the jail on Friday saw at least a dozen people on the roof of the facility in the Villa Devoto neighborhood of the city. The group had protest banners and some were holding chains, sticks and other weapons.