The fire broke out in the penitentiary in the western Colombian city of Tolua after a chaotic scene.
According to Colombian Justice Minister Wilson Ruiz, a fight between prisoners broke out at around 2 a.m. local time. One inmate set a mattress ablaze during the brawl, and flames spread across the prison wing, Ruiz said at a news conference Tuesday.
The penitentiary personnel tried to take care of it themselves but the flames were too strong and we had to wait for the arrival of the firefighters to control the situation, Ruiz said.
Twenty-four people were injured, including an unspecified number of guards.