Tehran

A fire has broken out at Iran's notorious Evin prison, the primary site for detaining political prisoners. Social media footage posted online shows flames and smoke billowing from the area.

"The infamous Evin prison in Tehran, Iran is on fire. Reports say gunfire heard. The lives if prisoners are in danger. Family members of prisoners are shocked and horrified," tweeted Masih Alinejad, Iranian journalist and activist.

The fire comes as Iran continues to be rocked by its most intense unrest in decades. In September, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after she was detained by the country's morality police for apparently not wearing her hijab properly.

Iranian authorities have since unleashed a brutal crackdown on demonstrators, who have united around a range of grievances with the country's authoritarian regime. Hundreds of those detained during the protests have reportedly been sent to Evin.

"People are heading towards Evin prison in Tehran after reports of fire and explosion in Evin. This is another sign that the Islamic Republic is losing control. Evin is where the Islamic Republic holds many political prisoners. The lives of prisoners are in danger," tweeted Alinejad.

People who are heading toward Evin prison said that gunshots is being heard from Evin Prison and smoke can be seen. Some families of prisoners have gathered in front of the main door of Evin prison. Meanwhile, Alinejad urged Western countries whose citizens are in Evin prison to must immediately call out Islamic Republic and make them accountable.

"Citizens from UK, Us, Sweden, Germany, France, Belgium and other countries are held at Evin. The lives of many Iranian prisoners is in danger," tweeted Alinejad. State media say calm has been restored to the prison, and has blamed "criminal elements" for the blaze.

Official news agency IRNA also said the unrest which led to the fire was over and quoted an unnamed official as saying that the unrest occurred in a section of the prison holding "thugs", appearing to suggest that political prisoners were not involved.

However, the cause of the blaze at the prison on the outskirts of the capital Tehran is unclear. Firefighters are at the scene, according to state media, while there are reports that special forces have been deployed to the area. Girls and women have led the nationwide protest movement that gripped Iran following the death of a young woman in police custody, reported CNN.

Witnesses previously said that Iranian security forces beat, shot and detained students at Tehran's Sharif University. Last month, nearly two dozen children were killed during the protests, according to a report by Amnesty International. At least 23 children - some as young as 11 - were killed by security forces in the last 10 days of September alone, the report said.

Earlier this week, an Iranian official also admitted that school students participating in street protests are being detained and taken to psychiatric institutions. The Iranian government's ferocious crackdown on demonstrators has caught the attention of world leaders.

The US issued sanctions on seven senior Iranian officials, with President Joe Biden pledging further costs "on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protesters."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "concerned about reports of peaceful protests being met with excessive use of force leading to dozens of deaths and injuries."

On Tuesday, the United Nations' children's agency UNICEF called for the protection of children and adolescents amid the public unrest.

"We are extremely concerned about continuing reports of children and adolescents being killed, injured and detained amid the ongoing public unrest in Iran," the UNICEF statement read.