SANA quoted Latakia police chief Kamal Fteih as saying prisoners were mostly murder and drug convicts.

Two policemen were also injured in the fire, he added, as they took part in the rescue operation.

“Twenty-five prisoners were hospitalized, eight of whom died of asphyxiation and serious burn injuries,” said Fteih. He added that the fire started around 5 a.m.

“The prisoners had blocked their cell doors with their beds and mattresses and rescuers had to drill two holes in the walls to get to them,” Fteih said.

Latakia, Syria’s main port with a population of 450,000, is 350 km northwest of Damascus, and has been the scene of unrest and pro-democracy demonstrations.

Troops have deployed in force to Latakia, a religiously diverse city which, with the southern city of Daraa, is one of two main flash points in two weeks of increasingly violent protests. The authorities have accused fundamentalists of seeking to incite sectarian strife in the city.

Fifteen people, military and civilians, were officially confirmed killed by gunfire involving snipers and drive-by shootings 10 days ago, and a further 185 injured. There were also widespread reports that terror had gripped the city as snipers on rooftops and gangs of young men armed with knives and clubs caused mayhem in the scenic resort.