At least 38 inmates were killed and dozens more injured Tuesday in a fire at a prison in Burundi’s capital, officials have said.

Speaking with reporters at the Gitega Prison, Burundi Vice President, Prosper Bazombanza said that at least 12 people had died of asphyxia as they tried to escape burning buildings.

At least 26 others died of severe injuries, he said. Bazombanza did not comment on what might have caused the fire.

However, in a statement on Twitter, the Burundi interior ministry said an electrical short circuit caused the fire. It confirmed that at least 38 prisoners had died and said at least 59 others had been injured.

Photos shared by the interior ministry showed at least one fire truck outside the prison.

A police source said the emergency services were late to the scene, with the first fire truck arriving two hours after the start of the blaze.

Victims with the most serious burns were taken to hospital, some carried in police pick-up trucks, while others with milder cases were treated at the scene, witnesses said.