made up of Attorney General Francisco Dominguez Brito, Interior Minister Franklin Almeyda and Perez Sanchez - "must carry out a broad and deep investigation of what has occurred", said Vice President Rafael Alburquerque, who travelled to Higuey. The Higuey prison was built to house 75 inmates, but more than 400 prisoners are serving terms there. Overcrowding is a major problem in the Dominican Republic's 35 penitentiaries. The prisons are built to house about 9,000 inmates, but the prison population is now 13,500 and has reached more than 16,000. --SP 2324 Local Time 2024 GMT