200 inmates still at large after Indonesia prison break

A local police chief said 242 men were recaptured by Sunday morning leaving about 200 still at large.

Police say 242 escaped inmates have been recaptured and sent back to prison. AP Photo

PEKANBARU, INDONESIA // Indonesian authorities said about 200 inmates remained at large two days after a mass escape from an overcrowded prison on Sumatra island.

The prison break on Friday occurred when prisoners were let out of their cells at Sialang Bungkuk Prison in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, to perform prayers. They broke through a prison door, overwhelming the few guards on duty.

Local police chief Susanto, who goes by one name, said 242 men were recaptured by Sunday morning leaving about 200 still at large.

Authorities were initially uncertain about how many prisoners had escaped from the prison, estimating the numbers at between 100 and 300.

Police said some of the men surrendered or were returned by their families while others were captured by residents, police and soldiers.

Various officials have said the prisoners were angry at poor conditions and treatment. The prison has a capacity of about 360 but according to Guntur Aryo Tejo, a police spokesman, it is holding more than 1,870 men.

Mr Tejo said four of the recaptured inmates were apprehended by police late on Friday about 100 kilometres from the prison on a bus heading for West Sumatra province.

Hundreds of police and soldiers have been deployed in the hunt for the prisoners.

Prison breaks are common in Indonesia where overcrowding has become a significant problem in prisons that are struggling to cope with poor funding and an influx of people arrested under a war on drugs.

Friday’s escape was the biggest since July 2013 when about 240 prisoners, including several convicted terrorists, escaped following a deadly prison riot in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province.

* Associated Press