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Hundreds of prisoners simultaneously escaped from four prisons in Brazil, the day before the prison blockade took effect by Covid-19.
Prison authorities in Sao Paulo state said on Tuesday they had escaped from four Mongagua, Tremembe, Porto Feliz and Mirandapolisra prisons after hearing that the prisons would be frozen from March 17 to prevent nCoV. When the blockade order goes into effect, they will not be allowed to go outside for Easter holidays and family members may not visit relatives.
Riot police are deployed to Manaus prison in Brazil after a riot in January 2017 Photo: Reuters.
"They were unhappy about the decision to cancel the Easter holiday. Upon hearing the news, some prisoners in the prisons had rebelled," said Lincoln Gakiya, a Sao Paulo state prosecutor.
Easter is one of five annual festivals for prisoners in Brazil, in which they are allowed to leave the prison to go home with relatives and friends, before voluntarily returning to prison.
Sao Paulo officials are still counting the prisoners, while a local newspaper said about 1,000 prisoners had fled the four prisons. The social network spread a video showing a crowd of prisoners rushing out of a prison, but the authenticity and location of the video were unclear.
Prison authorities in Sao Paulo state said the decision to cancel the holiday was necessary, as sending 34,000 prisoners out of the holiday home and returning to the jail would put a huge risk of transmitting nCoV in prison.
Sao Paulo is home to the most notorious "First Capital Command" gang in Brazil. The gang consists of 20,000 members, with around 6,000 active in prison, trading in guns, drugs, and many other contraband goods. First Capital Command also spreads centipede legs across the country and to neighboring countries. Brazil prison is also the place where frequent violent deaths among gangs.
Covid-19 appeared in 162 countries and territories after the onset in China in December 2019, leaving more than 183,000 people infected and more than 7,100 dead. Some countries apply measures to blockade the prison or temporarily release prisoners due to fear of spreading the virus.
