Five hospitalised after inmate starts fire inside Parklea prison: Corrective Services

Five staff members from Parklea Correctional Centre in Sydney have been hospitalised after an inmate started a fire inside his cell, according to Corrective Services NSW.

A supplied image obtained Tuesday, July 18, 2017 of inside Parklea Correctional Centre. Source: AAP

A 28-year-old man allegedly set fire to a blanket inside his cell in the maximum security section of the prison, according to a Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman.

At about 12.30pm on Wednesday, officers extinguish the fire and the inmate was put in segregation.

Staff and inmates are being checked for smoke inhalation.

Five staff members were taken to hospital by ambulance as a precautionary measure.

An investigation is being launched into the incident.