Higüey Prison fire

{{short description|2005 fire in the Dominican Republic}}

{{Old news|date=March 2024}}

The Higüey Prison fire occurred on March 7, 2005, at Higüey Prison in Higüey, Dominican Republic.

The prison was claimed to be overcrowded at the time of the fire, housing 400 inmates but designed to house only 180.{{cite web|url=http://www.mb.com.ph/node/115511 |title=134 dead in prison fire and riot in Dominican Republic |work= The Manila Bulletin |date=2005-03-09 |access-date=2012-02-16}} In all, 136 prisoners died.{{cite web|last=Associated |first=The |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/worlds-deadliest-prison-fires-15637303#.TzwOWlwV18E |title=Some of World's Deadliest Prison Fires |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date= |access-date=2012-02-16}} Among those killed was Edwin Adams Cotto.{{Cite web |date=2005-03-13 |title=EL VOCERO de Puerto Rico |url=http://www.vocero.com/noticia.asp?n=53044&d=3/8/2005 |access-date=2022-01-22 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050313141507/http://www.vocero.com/noticia.asp?n=53044&d=3/8/2005 |archive-date=13 March 2005 |url-status=dead}}

The fire's cause was variously attributed to an inmate riot, guards firing tear gas, or a prisoner setting fire to a mattress.