WATCH Bologna prison BURN as wave of inmate riots hit quarantined Italy

Infuriated by coronavirus safety measures put forward by the authorities, numerous prisoners took over a penitentiary in Bologna, setting it ablaze. The takeover comes as riots have engulfed other prisons across the country.

Footage provided by Ruptly shows plumes of black smoke swirling in the night sky over Dozza prison, where 800 prisoners are serving their terms. On Monday night, inmates set a fire inside the compound, rebelling against an emergency government decree restricting family visits to correctional facilities.

As the riots escalated, police sent reinforcements to back up 350 officers trying to maintain order at Dozza prison. Ambulances were also sent in, although no injuries have been reported so far.

Riots broke out at other penitentiaries across the epidemic-hit country, including in Milan, Modena, and Pavia.

Italy has become Europe’s coronavirus hotspot, with the total number of cases rising by 1,797 within just one day. Amid the crisis, the Italian government has taken an unprecedented measure, imposing the lockdown on the entire country. “There won’t be just a red zone,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced, “there will be Italy.”

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