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Airport fire kills 11 illegal immigrants

AMSTERDAM: A fire raged for three hours early on Thursday in a prison complex at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, killing 11 illegal immigrants and injuring 15 other people, authorities said.

The identities and nationalities of the dead was not immediately known. Officials declined to respond to reports that the fire may have been set by one of the prisoners and that the cells were unsafe.

``They were illegal aliens waiting to be extradited to their countries of origin,'' said Immigration Service spokesman Martin Bruinsma. ``We are still busy trying to confirm their identities.''

Rob Steenakker, a spokesman for Dutch border police, said the cause of the fire was still being investigated.

Several members of Dutch Parliament called for an independent investigation into whether the prison complex complied with safety standards.

An unknown number of detenus escaped during the blaze, and three were arrested.

AP

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