Mass Prison Breakout in Inhambane

Maputo, 24 Jun (AIM) – A group of 63 prisoners escaped from the provincial jail in the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane, and later murdered an official of the Inhambane attorney’s office.

According to a report in Monday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”, the mass breakout occurred on Sunday morning. The prison director, Mario Malije, told the paper that the prisoners overwhelmed a guard and seized his weapon. They went on to injure a second guard and to steal two more firearms.

They then made their way to the neighbouring district of Jangamo, where they attempted to rob a vehicle. But, according to a recaptured prisoner, Joaquim Mario, the first three vehicles they stopped were of no use for their plans. The first had a security code, and the second and third were minibus-taxis known as “chapas” (one of which was almost out of fuel).

The fourth vehicle was a Honda owned by Sergio Vitorino Mario, head of the secretariat of the Inhambane provincial attorney’s office. According to a report in the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, when the armed escapees stepped into the road and ordered the car to stop, Mario did not obey but drove through the ambush.

The escaped prisoners opened fire with the AK-47 assault rifles they had taken from the guards. In the hail of bullets, the driver lost control of the vehicle, and hit a tree. He lost his life in the ambush.

By this time a unit of the riot police, pursuing the escapees, had arrived. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, one of the escaped prisoners was killed. He was a former member of the Presidential Guard, the elite unit charged with defending the President of the Republic, and was believed to be one of the ringleaders of the breakout.

The police have managed to recapture 23 of the prisoners, leaving 40 still at large. At the time of the breakout, there were 291 inmates in the provincial jail.

Story courtesy of (AIM)