first heard in ward 7 of the prison this account could not immediately be corroboratedfootage of the fire circulated online videos showed shots ringing out as plumes of smoke rose into the sky amid the sound of an alarm a protest broke out on the street soon after with many chanting death to the dictator a reference to supreme leader ayatollah ali khamenei and burning tires the videos showedthe semiofficial fars news agency believed to be close to the elite islamic revolutionary guard said sunday that some prisoners who tried to escape entered a minefield situated in the northern part of the prison it is said the sound of explosions was related to the case the report said offering no additional details a later fars report said no mines were ignited by prisonersonline video of the prison fire appeared to show rounds being launched into the area by security forces followed by the sound of an explosion it wasnt immediately clear what kind of rounds iranian security forces used in the incidentwitnesses said that police blocked roads and highways to evin and that at least three strong explosions were heard coming from the area traffic was heavy along major freeways near the prison which is in the north of the capital and many people honked to show their solidarity with protestsriot police were seen riding on motorbikes toward the facility as were ambulances and firetrucks witnesses reported that the internet was blocked in the areathe prison fire occurred as protesters intensified antigovernment demonstrations along main streets and at universities in some cities across iran on saturday human rights monitors reported hundreds dead including children as the movement concluded its fourth weekthe protests erupted after public outrage over the death of 22yearold mahsa amini in police custody she was arrested by irans morality police in tehran for violating the islamic republics strict dress code irans government insists amini was not mistreated in police custody but her family says her body showed bruises and other signs of beating after she was detainedon sunday irans parliament published a statement claiming that amini did not die from any physical blow but that she fell and police waited too long to get treatment for her it urged police to offer an apology and provide more training to its staff it suggested police wear cameras on their uniforms and install them in cars used to transfer detaineespresident joe biden on a trip to oregon said the iranian government is so oppressive and that he had an enormous amount of respect for people marching in the streetsevin prison which holds detainees facing securityrelated charges and includes dual citizens has been charged by rights groups with abusing inmates the facility has long been known for holding political prisoners as well as those with ties to the west who have been used by iran as bargaining chips in international negotiations