5 inmates taken to hospital after simultaneous violent incidents at 2 B.C. prisons

Simultaneous violent incidents at two Fraser Valley prisons on Thursday evening resulted in five inmates being taken to hospital.

B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) said a call from Kent Institution in Agassiz, B.C., at 5 p.m. on Thursday resulted in three people being taken to hospital in critical condition.

A call at 5:10 p.m. from Matsqui Institution in Abbotsford, B.C., resulted in two people being taken to hospital, according to BCEHS spokesperson Jasprit Khandal.

Kent Institution is a maximum security federal prison, while Matsqui Institution is a medium security prison. 

Correctional Service Canada (CSC) said in an email to CBC that "a number of inmates were victims of an assault at Kent Institution. Correctional staff responded quickly, the injured inmates were evaluated by staff members and transported to outside hospital to receive treatment."

The email said the Agassiz RCMP and CSC are investigating.

A short new release from CSC said that "several inmates at Matsqui Institution were involved in an altercation that resulted in many being the victims of assault ... No staff members were injured during this incident." 

Matsqui Institution is now under lockdown and visits have been suspended, according to the release.

Abbotsford Regional Hospital was put under restricted access on Thursday for four hours, from approximately 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., according to Fraser Health spokesman Dixon Tam.

Tam said restricted access means people are screened at hospital entrances by hospital security personnel with no impact to normal operations. 

According to BCEHS, five ground ambulances and two advanced care paramedic responder units were sent to Kent Institution, while two ground ambulances attended at Matsqui Institution.