JAKARTA, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- A total of 53 inmates escaped from a prison at around 11:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) in Sorong of Southwest Papua Province in east Indonesia on Sunday, said officials.

Out of the 53 prisoners who had escaped from the Class II B Penitentiary of Sorong Prison, only six were taken back into custody, said Sorong City Police Chief Commissioner Happy Perdana Yudianto.

To re-arrest dozens of inmates, the police have closed accesses out of Sorong City. "The efforts we have made are also blocking roads outside Sorong City, the port and airport while collecting data on escaped prisoners," said Yudianto on Sunday.

Yudianto said that the prisoners who escaped were those involved in general crime and drug cases. Regarding the explosion that was reportedly heard from the prison guard post, Happy confirmed that it came from firecrackers.

Manuel Yenusi, head of Sorong Prison, said that before the mass escape of prisoners occurred, there was a Sunday morning prayer service which was conducive.

"However, at around 11:00 a.m., the service had ended, it turned out that the prisoners broke into security and threatened two guard officers and threw firecrackers until there was an explosion. Then, dozens of prisoners escaped," said Yenusi.

Before the mass escape occurred, Sorong Prison held 543 inmates, which had far exceeded its capacity of 250. Enditem

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