One prisoner has died and 12 others remain in hospital after drinking disinfectant in one of the world’s most notorious prisons.

An inmate at Kerobokan Prison in Bali stole a 4.5-liter bottle of poison that was used to clean the facility under coronavirus protocols before selling it to other prisoners disguised as sugar cane liquor.

As many as 21 people were rushed to hospital with fever and stomach cramps from the poisoning, with a woman known as Ni Radita who died on Friday.

Kerobokan, known to locals as the “K Hotel” and home to six Australians, including Bali Nine members Matthew Norman and Si Yi Chen, is infamous for being overcrowded and extremely under-police.

The ABC reported in 2017 that there were only four guards in charge of the 1,300 inmates, with cells so crowded with convicted felons that the doors struggled to close.

The deceased woman was a 25-year-old woman serving a sentence of five years and six months for possession of one gram of methamphetamine.

They believe she died of kidney failure from the poison.

The head of the prison, Ms. Lili, confirmed her death, saying that the inmates “tried everything to get drunk” and that many believed the disinfectant to be alcohol.

“Our prison is clean, there are no narcotics, no methamphetamine,” she said.

“We use the disinfectant for sanitary protocols in prison. But it is misused by prisoners.

She said four prisoners were first rushed to Sangalah hospital, where one of them died.

Upon hearing the news of the other’s deteriorating health, several others came forward admitting that they too had drunk the poison.

The woman who sold them the drink had mixed the cleaning agent with a vitamin C-based drink called NutriSari and was selling it for AU $ 5 a glass.

The prison has been closed since March 31 last year, with prisoners saying conditions and lack of family visits have resulted in prison-wide consequences, including increased violence.