Rohingya detainees escape, one shot dead

Rohingya detainees escape, one shot dead

A police officer stands outside the detention building for illegal migrants at the Phangnga immigration bureau, Phangnga province, after the escape by 21 Rohingya migrants early on Monday. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)
A police officer stands outside the detention building for illegal migrants at the Phangnga immigration bureau, Phangnga province, after the escape by 21 Rohingya migrants early on Monday. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)

Twenty-one trafficked Rohingya migrants broke out of their detention cell and escaped in the southern province of Phangnga early Monday.

Three were quickly recaptured and a fourth was shot dead by pursuers who said they fired in self defence when a small group of the escapees attacked them.

Police said that the illegal migrants used a hacksaw blade to cut the bars of a second-floor cell at the Phangnga immigration bureau in tambon Tham Nam Phud and fled  about 3am Monday.

Fifteen of them escaped down a nearby canal, which adjoins Phangnga Bay, and the six others fled uphill.

Pursuers caught up with the six escapees on Thong mountain. Three were arrested and one was killed.

The officials said they fired a gun to protect themselves from attack by the desperate migrants. One Rohingya man was hit and killed by the bullet.

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