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Inmates flee from Pekanbaru prison
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Busted: Police arrest an inmate fleeing from the Class IIB Sialang Bungkuk Penitentary, Pekanbaru, Riau, at noon on Friday. (JP/File)
D
ozens of inmates ran off from the Class IIB Sialang Bungkuk Penitentary, Pekanbaru, Riau, at 12:45 p.m. local time on Friday, spreading fear among people living nearby.
The situation became tense when prison authorities beefed up security, deploying personnel to pursue the fleeing inmates.
In late afternoon, the situation in areas around the Sialang Bungkuk prison remained tense as a number of inmates who had managed to escape their cells continued to search for ways to exit the prison. Two company-level units of Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel blockaded the facility.
Riau Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Ermi Widyatno personally monitored the security measures taken to control the situation. Police officers fired warning shots into the air to force the inmates back to the prison.
One report stated only 30 inmates ran from the prison, but another claimed about 200 had fled.
“I do not yet know the exact number [of escaped inmates]. Some of them have been arrested and returned to the prison,” said Ferdinan Siagian, head of the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s Pekanbaru office.
The mass escape was reportedly triggered by the prisoners' anger and disappointment over the harsh attitudes of prison officers. “Information we received says several prison officers had often triggered conflicts with prisoners, so they decided to flee via several doors in the prison that were open during the Friday prayer,” said Ferdinan.
Pekanbaru Police spokesperson Second Insp. Dodi Vivino said dozens of fully armed officers had been dispatched to pursue the inmates. (mos/ebf)
