ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The death toll in relation to the prison fire incident in the Kurdish-majority city of Kobane in northern Syria (Rojava) rose to 10 after another injured detainee succumbed to his wounds late Wednesday, Rudaw has learned.
The latest victim has been identified as Mesud Hemo Resho, 35, a resident of the village of Susan west of Kobane. He was married and the father of five children, according to Rudaw’s Shivan Mesi, and had been receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Aleppo after sustaining injuries in the fire.
Hemo Resho was among 17 people injured when a fire broke out at Kobane Central Prison early Saturday. Nine others died at the scene or shortly after, whose funerals were held in Kobane on Monday with a large turnout from residents.
The deaths have prompted calls for clarity surrounding the circumstances of the fire. Mazloum Abdi, the newly appointed adviser to the Syrian presidency, on Monday said authorities launched a “comprehensive and transparent” investigation into the incident and would announce its findings.
“It is with profound sorrow and grief that I mourn the nine martyrs of Kobane who lost their lives during the incident at the city's prison,” Abdi said, offering his heartfelt condolences to their families.
He called for the responsible parties to be held accountable, stressing the need to prevent similar incidents through stronger coordination between judicial and security institutions to protect civilians and prisoners.
The fire broke out after days of protests in Kobane and other Kurdish-majority areas of northeast Syria (Rojava) following the killing of Sipan Hizni, a Kurdish member of a Syrian army brigade, near Hasaka province.
Several demonstrators were detained during the unrest and taken to Kobane central prison, after which tensions inside the facility escalated after detainees learned they could be transferred to government-controlled areas in Aleppo.
The exact circumstances of how the fire started have been disputed.
Syrian security authorities said an investigation was opened to determine the cause and identify those responsible, while injured detainees told local media that the blaze began after prisoners resisted the planned transfer.
The prison had not yet been formally transferred to Syrian government authorities when the fire occurred.
The killing of Hizni and the deaths of the detainees following the prison fire come amid a broader security transition in Rojava following the dissolution of the SDF in August and the reorganization of its personnel into brigades affiliated with the Syrian military.
A political agreement has granted Kurdish representatives advisory and parliamentary roles under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, but tensions between Kurdish communities, state security forces, and Arab tribal groups remain a persistent challenge to stability across the enclave.
