One inmate was killed and seven others injured in a prison riot which escalated into an attempted jailbreak in Kawthaung in southern Burma on Friday night, according to state media.
The riot was reportedly sparked after a quarrel between prisoners turned violent and inmates took advantage of the turmoil to break through the roof of the prison, which is located close to the Thai border.
The rioting prisoners then allegedly set fires and threw missiles at prison officers who responded with warning shots and stun guns. At 9:30 pm, one hour after the riot broke out, police and firefighters arrived at the scene, a report in the New Light of Myanmar said.
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“They, together with members of jail security, controlled the situation, gathered the inmates outside the cells and put out the fire,” the report said, adding that no prisoner escaped in the incident. The report offered no indication on how one prisoner was killed and the others injured.
