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Dozens of prisoners have escaped in the Comoros by simply walking out of the main gate of the jail in the capital, Moroni, the authorities say.<\/p>\n
The public prosecutor blamed negligent security guards for the early morning jailbreak.<\/p>\n
However, a government spokesman told the Reuters news agency the escape of the 38 men appeared to be pre-planned.<\/p>\n
Moroni Prison, the largest on the Indian Ocean island nation, is dilapidated and overcrowded.<\/p>\n
More than 200 inmates are incarcerated there – more than double its capacity.<\/p>\n
The fugitives are still at large and an investigation has been launched.<\/p>\n
Public Prosecutor Ali Mohamed Djounaid said he believed that a soldier jailed last year over the death of a football fan during a World Cup qualifying match had initiated the breakout.<\/p>\n
“The escape was instigated by the soldier who fired the shots at the Malouzini football stadium in Moroni,” the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n
The privately owned Comoros Infos website reported “insider collusion” as having facilitated the escape.<\/p>\n
Jailbreaks from Moroni Prison are not uncommon.<\/p>\n
In 2020, 23 inmates escaped in unclear circumstances and more than 40 inmates absconded<\/a> as the people were celebrating the national football team’s victory over Kenya.<\/p>\n <\/div>\nYou may be interested in:<\/h3>\n