At least 41 people have been killed in a fire at an overcrowded Indonesia prison blamed on an electrical fault.
The blaze tore through the overcrowded cells early today while most inmates were asleep, injuring dozens and burning many of the dead so badly they could not be identified.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze - which was mostly contained within one block that housed prisoners jailed on drug charges - at around 3am (8pm GMT Tuesday) and evacuated the victims.
Television footage showed a massive fire raging through the prison block with thick smoke billowing from the building. At least two of the victims were foreign nationals, one each from South Africa and Portugal.
'Forty died on the scene and one died on his way to the hospital,' said Yasonna Laoly, Indonesia's justice minister, adding that eight were seriously injured and 31 sustained minor injuries.
Authorities were still investigating the cause of the incident at Tangerang Penitentiary, just outside the capital Jakarta, but suspected an electrical fault may have been to blame.
At least 41 people have been killed in a fire at an overcrowded Indonesia prison blamed on an electrical fault (pictured, health care workers carry a body bag for identification)
Indonesia's justice minister Yasonna Laoly said 31 inmates had minor injuries, eight had serious injuries, and at least 41 died
Firefighters have extinguished the blaze which broke out in a block (pictured) that housed prisoners jailed on drug charges
Jakarta police chief Fadil Imran said: 'Based on early observation, it is suspected (the fire) happened because of a short circuit'.
Laoly said the prison's electrical system had not been upgraded since it was built over 40 years ago, in 1972.
'The fire spread quickly and there was no time to open some cells... When the guards found out, the fire had already spread, and that's where we found the victims,' Laoly added.
He said police had started identifying victims but that DNA testing would probably be needed for some of the bodies that were hard to recognise.
Marlinah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, raced to the local hospital after officials called her home to say her younger brother Muhammad
