More than 100 inmates escape from Indonesia jail on Sumatra Island

More than 100 inmates escaped from an Indonesian jail on Sumatra Island on Saturday, police said, in the latest breakout to hit the country´s creaking prison system

Written by Monika Walker

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Updated

More than 100 inmates escaped from an Indonesian jail on Sumatra Island on Saturday, police said, in the latest breakout to hit the country´s creaking prison system.

The prisoners fled the jail in Siak district on Sumatra island early in the morning after rioting and a fire broke out at the detention center.

Footage on local TV stations showed the facility engulfed in flames.

Authorities launched a massive manhunt and 115 prisoners had been recaptured by late morning, Riau province police chief Widodo Eko Prihastopo said.

Dozens of detainees from a prison population of more nearly 650 remained at large, he added.

"Police with assistance from the army and surrounding community are still searching for the rest," Prihastopo said.

The rioting was triggered after guards beat several inmates who were caught using methamphetamine, police said.

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

Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where inmates are often held in unsanitary conditions at overcrowded prisons.

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

Author Profile

Monika Walker is a senior journalist specializing in regional and international politics, offering in-depth analysis on governance, diplomacy, and key global developments. With a degree in International Journalism, she is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices through factual reporting. She also covers world news across every genre, providing readers with balanced and timely insights that connect the Caribbean to global conversations.