Prisoners scoop their way to freedom

[TJ Phaserman 2]

CONAKRY (Reuters) - More than 30 prisoners escaped from a jail in southeastern Guinea by using spoons to scoop a hole in the baked earth wall of their prison building which had been softened by rain, prison authorities said.

 

The 36 detainees made their escape this week after taking advantage of heavy rain which had fallen on the southeast city of N'Zerekore where the prison was located, the authorities, cited by state media in the West African country, said.

 

"We found that the detainees used spoons, once the wall was moistened, to dig a hole. They used their sheets and shirts to make a rope to climb down the right wall of the jail," one of the warders told Guinean TV.

 

Many of Guinea's old prison buildings were damaged during bloody riots which erupted across the country early last year during a strike by unions protesting against high inflation and the rule of veteran President Lansana Conte.

 

More than 130 people were killed, mostly civilians shot by security forces.