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Four inmates who were being held on robbery convictions died a smoke inhalation. On Sunday, the Iranian judiciary said that 61 people were injured including 10 who needed hospital treatment with four in a serious condition.
Iranian state media reported that the fire was extinguished after several hours with no prisoners managing to escape despite a number of unsuccessful attempts taking place.
Gunshots were also heard at the prison while plumes of smoke rose from the building with alarms sounding, according to local media and online videos.
Elvin prison houses hundreds of inmates, including a large number of political prisoners with charities reporting repeated human rights abuses.
The US-based Centre for Human Rights in Iran claimed that an “armed conflict” had broken out in the prison.
They added that shots were initially heard in ward seven of the prison.
Video footage from activist website 1500tasvir appeared to suggest that special forces on motorbikes were heading towards the prison.
It comes as anti government protests in Iran continue into their fifth week in response to the death of Mahsa Amini last month.
Ms Anmini, 22 died after being arrested by the Iranian “morality police” who often police female dress in public.
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“Iran has turned into a big prison,” videos on social media showed University students in Tehran chanting.
They also chanted: “Evin prison has become a slaughterhouse.”
Other videos showed fires being lit at road junctions in several cities including Tehran and Piranshahr were drivers honked their horns and anti-government slogans could be heard.
On Sunday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi blamed his US counterpart Joe Biden for inciting “chaos, terror, and destruction”.
He said: “The American president, who allows himself through his comments to incite chaos, terror and destruction in another country, should be reminded of the eternal words of the founder of the Islamic Republic, who called America the great satan.”
On Saturday Mr Biden urged Iran “to end the violence against its own citizens simply exercising their fundamental rights”.
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