Dozens escape from Liberia jail in major inmate breakout

Forty-seven inmates broke out of a jail in central Liberia and authorities are undertaking "all necessary measures" to capture them, the justice ministry said on Monday.

The ministry said on its Facebook page the prisoners spotted a flaw in the Kakata Central Prison security system and staged a weekend getaway.

"The Ministry of Justice is deeply concerned by this event and is taking all necessary measures for the capture of the fugitive detainees," the ministry added, adding police had deployed reinforcements to aid the search.

The ministry urged the fugitives to hand themselves in to avoid further charges and urged the public not to give them assistance but instead to report any information that could lead to their recapture.

A 2023 report by the US State Department described life in Liberian prisons as ultra-harsh with severe overcrowding, food shortages, inadequate sanitary conditions, vermin infestations, and inadequate medical care.