Five people were reportedly killed as dozens of prisoners escaped from an Indonesian jail after violent riots erupted Thursday.
Police estimated around 200 inmates managed to escape from Tanjung Gusta prison in Medan City, Sumatra Island after riots broke out, sparked by a power cut that left prisoners without water, reports BBC.
The agitated prisoners broke down the doors of the warden’s office, set fire parts of the jail and hurled bottles and rocks at guards.
Five people, including at least two prison staff and two inmates, were killed in the riots. Another was said to have died in the fire.
The commotion led to the massive prison break, with 13 terror convicts among the prisoners on the loose, police said.
At least 55 fugitives have been recaptured while the exact number of prisoners remaining at large has yet to be determined.
Security forces were still struggling to regain control of the prison. Some 700 police and soliders were hunting through Medan to find the fugitives, reports AFP.
The Tanjung prison houses more than 2,600 inmates even though it was built for just over 1,000.
