The death of 10 inmates in a grenade explosion at a Filipino prison on Thursday evening may have occurred during an escape attempt, reports are saying.
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An explosion at a jail in the Philippines’ capital region has killed at least 10 inmates, including two Chinese nationals detained on drug charges.
“Bantag said he heard a gunshot, which prompted him to grab his 9-mm pistol”.
Solda described the dead men as high profile inmates, adding that eight of them, including the two Chinese, were linked to illegal drugs while the two others were jailed for robbery. He said the inmates kept firing at him, so he kept firing back as he tried to make his way out of his office. It was then that the grenade exploded, the report said.
Bantag sustained wounds on his left leg and face from the incident.
He said the inmates had asked to meet the warden but it was unclear why he did so without personal guards.
Carumba was quoted as saying officials were looking into how the inmates were able to acquire the automatic submachine gun that they used to fire at Bantag.
BJMP spokesman Senior Inspector Xavier Solda, in a televised press briefing, said Bantag needs to undergo surgery for multiple injuries, including the head.
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“While police are not detaining all of those who turned themselves in, the thousands who are now behind bars are pushing the capacity of jails and detention centers to the breaking point”, Human Rights Watch researcher Carlos Conde says.
