Thousands of prisoners escape in Egypt; death toll rises to 102 01/31/2011

Thousands of prisoners escape in Egypt; death toll rises to 102

01/31/2011
CAIRO — Thousands of prisoners have escaped from detention facilities across Egypt as anti-regime riots raged into a sixth straight day with some soldiers joining the protests that have claimed at least 102 lives.

Several thousand inmates during the night overwhelmed guards at Wadi Natrun prison north of Cairo — which holds many Islamist political prisoners — and spilled out into nearby towns and villages, a security official said.

The official told Agence France Presse that eight prisoners were killed during rioting at the Abu Zaabal prison east of Cairo.

Dozens held at a facility in Fayum, south of Cairo, escaped on Saturday evening in clashes that left one policeman dead..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20110131hed5.html