Pacific / Papua New Guinea

PNG police appeal for sightings of prison escapees

09:26 am on 7 February 2020

Police in Papua New Guinea's Lae are calling on the public for help to recapture 16 inmates, who escaped from Buimo prison last month.

Reception area at Buimo Jail Photo: Human Rights Watch

A prisoner and a prison guard were killed in the escape on 19 January.

There have been no reported sightings of the escapees so police have released pictures of 11 of the 16 missing inmates.

Meanwhile, 10 staff from Port Moresby's Bomana prison have been brought in to Buimo.

In 2018, four prisoners were shot dead as nine others escaped the prison.

A year earlier, 17 inmates were killed in a 77 man break-out from Buimo.