Netherlands: suspect detained in death of 11 immigrants in prison fire

Dutch police detained a suspect Monday on arson charges related to a lethal fire at a prison complex last month which killed 11 illegal immigrants awaiting deportation, prosecutors said in a statement.The suspect's name and nationality were not released due to ongoing inquiries. The fire in the early hours of Oct. 27 gutted a prison complex near Schiphol Airport outside Amsterdam, also used to house drug smugglers.

"The suspect was a detainee when the fire broke out at the prison complex," the prosecution statement said. The suspect is a Libyan man who himself was injured in the fire, Dutch media reported.

Prosecution spokesman Maarten Vos said authorities haven't ruled out the possibility of additional arrests, but declined to confirm the report or give further comment.

The victims were two each from Suriname, Ukraine, and Turkey and one each from Libya, Dominican Republic, Bulgaria and Romania. The identity of the 11th victim is still being determined. The Dutch Justice Minister is one of several government officials due to attend a ceremony for the victims on Tuesday.

The fire has raised concerns about the safety and treatment of foreign immigrants who have been refused asylum in the Netherlands. A.M.