Filipino inmate joined Indonesia prison break — DFA
MANILA, Philippines —A Filipino was reportedly among hundreds of prisoners who escaped from one of the detention facilities in a quake-hit region of Indonesia, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Around 1,200 convicts are on the run from three different prisons in the Sulawesi region in the aftermarth of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that devastated the area last Friday.
"The Philippine Consulate General in Manado said the Filipino detainee, who was earlier reported to be safe, was later reported to have joined the mass jailbreak after the prison was damaged by the earthquake," the DFA said.
The Consulate General is working with Indonesian authorities on the whereabouts of the Filipino detainee while power and communication lines have not yet been restored.
The Filipino was convicted for methamphetamine possession following his arrest in 2011 and is serving a prison term until 2021.
He was the lone Filipino affected by the earthquake that formed a tsunami. The Philippine Embassy in Jakarta earlier reported that he was safe.
The death toll from Indonesia's quake and tsunami has risen to more than 830 and is expected to rise further while rescue teams are havong difficulty recovering victims. — Patricia Lourdes Viray with reports from Associated Press
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