Chí Hòa Prison located at 324 Hòa Hưng Street in Ward 12, District 10 was built in 1943. — Photo cand.com.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City Police on Tuesday night sent officers to help staff in Chí Hòa Prison stamp out a riot among inmates days after the COVID-19 related death of a prisoner.

According to an announcement released by city police early on Wednesday, the riot began when health workers were giving medical check-ups to inmates on Tuesday afternoon.

People living near the prison in the city’s District 10 said they heard loud bangs and shouts from the prison at about 7pm on Tuesday.

According to city police, the riot was put under control and inmates have been returned to their cells. Some inmates were transferred to another prison in Củ Chi District.

Inmates at Chí Hòa Prison received medical check-ups on Tuesday after HCM City Police announced the COVID-19-related death of a man detained at the prison.

The 26-year-old man under detention at the prison since May 12 for alleged drug trading crimes tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on July 3.

As the man had a fever, prison wardens took him to April 30 Hospital where he was tested for SARS-CoV-2 on the afternoon of July 3.

He died on the evening of the same day but has yet to be announced by the health ministry as a death relating to COVID-19.

Previously, on June 28, HCM City Police announced three officers of Chí Hòa Prison had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. One of the officers is the prison’s health officer who was assigned to offer COVID-19 screening to people at the prison gate.

Between June 27 and July 5, as many as 81 SARS-CoV-2 positive cases were detected at the prison including 44 staff and 36 inmates, the city’s Health Department reported on Wednesday morning.

The first case relating to the cluster was an officer working at the prison who went to Bình Thạnh District Hospital for COVID-19 screening on June 27. The latest case was reported on July 5.

hí Hòa Prison is located at 324 Hòa Hưng Street in Ward 12, District 10 and was built in 1943.

HCM City authorities have been planning to replace the decrepit and overloaded Chí Hòa Prison in District 10 with the T30 detention centre in outlying Củ Chi District.

It has long been considered one of the most secure prisons in Việt Nam with only two successful breakouts in its history. However, it has now deteriorated badly and holds more inmates than its designed capacity of 2,000-7,000 people. — VNS