7 inmates shot dead, 12 hurt in failed jailbreak in Myanmar

BANGKOK (AP) — An official with Myanmar’s Prison Department says seven prisoners were killed and 12 others hurt when they were shot as they tried to stage a jailbreak. The official said about 50 prisoners tried to escape Tuesday by taking three guards hostage at Kalay Prison in Sagaing Region, which holds about 1,000 inmates. The official said those trying to escape were both political detainees and common criminals. The prisoner he named as the ringleader was shot dead and later identified by the Chin National Organization, which is opposed to Myanmar’s military government, as a member of its armed wing. The prison spokesperson said the inmates were shot after defying warnings to surrender.