Arabic version: احتراق أربع سيارات في موقف سجن ياتالا للعمل

According to ABC News, four cars were destroyed by fire at the Yatala Labour Prison car park in Adelaide’s north, in an incident police are investigating as a suspected arson attack. Emergency services were called to Peter Brown Drive at Northfield at about 4am.

Police described the fire as suspicious and said two Mitsubishi station wagons and two Toyota sedans were completely destroyed. They have asked anyone who saw suspicious behaviour in the area or has relevant dash-cam footage to contact Crime Stoppers.

The Public Service Association said two staff members encountered a person wearing a balaclava when they arrived for work, and that the person fled. PSA SA vice-president Craig Bates said union members were “absolutely outraged” and renewed calls for stronger security, including a fence around the car park.

The union said it had raised concerns five months earlier, writing to the Department for Correctional Services in May to seek an extension of the perimeter fence and 24-hour protective security officers. It said those requests were rejected.

Department for Correctional Services chief executive David Brown said CCTV footage of the incident existed but did not disclose what it showed because of the active police investigation. He said all options were being considered, including partitioning or fencing access to the car park, while noting the prison has substantial interaction with the public.