Five Die And Dozens Escape During Indonesia Prison Break

Five people are reported to have been killed in a riot at a prison in Indonesia’s Sumatra island that led to the escape of dozens of inmates according to BBC News.

Authorities were searching for scores of inmates, including terrorists, who escaped a crowded Indonesian prison that was still burning Friday after prisoners set fires and started a deadly riot at the facility in the nation’s third-largest city as reported by Huffington Post.

“Thousands of policemen and soldiers are deployed around Tanjung Gusta prison to blockade roads linking Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, to other provinces were blockaded while fire brigades were battling the fires.”

According to Huffington Post, about 200 prisoners escaped following the riot late Thursday in which five where killed including three prison employees and two inmates.

So far, officers have re-arrested 55 of the escaped inmates and are still searching for the remaining inmates who are still at large.

Three of the 22 convicted terrorists have been captured according to chief in Lt. Col. Nico Afinta.

Inmates forced their way out from the prison while others set offices on fire and held about 15 officers captive inside the prison, prison directorate spokesman Akbar Hadi said.

All of the hostages of the Indonesia Prison Break had been accounted for as of early Friday morning according to the Huffington Post report.

“Witnesses said gunshots were heard from inside the prison, and television footage showed security forces carrying a white body bag into an ambulance from the burning prison. The fire sent raging orange flames jumping several meters (yards) into the air and a huge column of black smoke billowing over the jail.”

Hadi estimated about 500 inmates were resisting calls to stop the riot and said an evacuation was planned for the safety of inmates who could become hostages as tensions showed no signs of easing.

Reports say that Vice Minister of justice Denny Indrayana, who is in Medan overseeing the operation, has requested evacuation of all inmates and appealed those remain escape to give themselves to the authorities.

“Legal action will be taken to chase them, and tougher action will be applied to those who refuse to surrender,” Indrayana said.

No further information has been released so far concerning injuries which occurred during the Indonesia Prison Break.

[photo credit: Sparre.Enger via photopin cc]