Prison riot sparks inmate escape in Colombia's Popayan
Key Takeaways
- A prison riot triggered an inmate escape in Popayan.
- Police launched a large-scale search operation across the city.
- Unofficial reports suggested more than 30 inmates escaped.
A riot at the Laura Valencia jail in Popayan triggered a mass escape attempt, prompting a large-scale police operation as authorities searched for inmates still at large.
A riot at the Laura Valencia jail in the Modelo neighbourhood of Popayan, the capital of Colombia's Cauca department, led to the escape of an unknown number of inmates on Tuesday afternoon.
Residents recorded the moment several inmates climbed onto the roof of the prison in an attempt to flee while officers opened fire to stop the escape.
The incident prompted a large-scale operation involving the National Police and the Dialogue and Order Maintenance Unit.
According to initial reports, the inmates took advantage of the unrest caused by the riot to reach the roof of the facility before escaping, bypassing the prison's security measures.
Authorities have not confirmed how many prisoners escaped.
However, unofficial reports suggested that more than 30 inmates may have fled. Police set up patrols and checkpoints across Popayan as the search continued for those who remained at large.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
