Sydney: Prisoners cut through fences and
took a jail commander hostage in a mass breakout north-east of
Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby, police said today.
A group of 73 inmates escaped Buimo prison in the city
of Lae, using the prison chief and a warden to shield
themselves from armed guards as they forced their way through
fences late Wednesday, PNG police said.
Two were almost immediately recaptured and another was
shot dead, said Superintendent Nema Mondiai.
"As long as these people are in the community they're
going to create havoc, they're going to create problems,"
Mondiai told Australian public broadcaster ABC.
It is the second time in three months prisoners have
escaped from a PNG jail. There was a breakout of 54 inmates
near Port Moresby in September after wardens failed to show up
for work and police were busy guarding a rugby match.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 17, 2009, 17:03