At least 100 prisoners on the run after jailbreak in Indonesia

Hundreds of police and soldiers have regained control of a prison in western Indonesia following a riot but about 100 inmates are still missing.

Indonesian military officers inspect the damage after a riot at Langkat Prison in Langkat, North Sumatra, Indonesia.

Indonesian military officers inspect the damage after a riot at Langkat Prison in Langkat, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Source: EPA

At least 100 prisoners are on the run from an Indonesian jail, authorities said on Thursday, after the Southeast Asian nation's second mass prison escape in less than a week.

Authorities said prisoners fled the jail for narcotics convicts in North Sumatra province, after starting a fire in response to complaints about the treatment of a fellow prisoner.

"They were angry and burned prison officers' motorbikes," a local resident only known as Solden said.
An Indonesian soldier walks past wreckage of burnt cars following a prison riot at Langkat Prison in Langkat, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
An Indonesian soldier walks past wreckage of burnt cars following a prison riot at Langkat Prison in Langkat, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Source: AP
Hundreds of inmates initially escaped from the detention centre, but most were soon recaptured.

At least 100 others are still at large.

"They should surrender and serve the remainder of their sentences," North Sumatra police chief Agus Andrianto said.

"Running away won't solve the problem - it will only create more problems."
A fireman extinguishes a fire reflected on a broken window.
A fireman extinguishes a fire reflected on a broken window. Source: EPA
Thursday's jailbreak comes after more than 100 inmates escaped on Saturday from another jail in Sumatra following a riot that broke out after guards beat several inmates who were caught using methamphetamine.

Three detainees suffered stab wounds and a policeman was shot during the rioting, the local health office told AFP.

Some prisoners were recaptured but dozens are still on the run, authorities said.
Jailbreaks are not uncommon in Indonesia where inmates are often held in crowded, unsanitary conditions.

There was a spate of breakouts in 2013, including one where about 150 prisoners - including terror convicts - escaped from jail.


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Published 17 May 2019 10:34am
Source: AFP, SBS


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