Five prisoners die after getaway car crashes during escape attempt

Five Lebanese jail escapees died Saturday when their getaway car crashed into a tree.

The men were in a group of almost 70 pre-trial detainees who broke out of a detention center on the outskirts of Beirut, Reuters reported.

Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces didn’t give details of the escape, which is being investigated. One detainee was injured and taken to a hospital, but it wasn’t clear whether he was in the car.

Authorities have caught 15 prisoners so far, and four have turned themselves in.

This spring, jail inmates across Lebanon rioted and families called for their loved ones to be released because of the spread of COVID-19, according to Amnesty International.

The human rights group reported that government officials have worked to improve conditions but should release prisoners who have served their time and should review pre-trial detainees.

via: https://nypost.com/2020/11/21/five-prisoners-die-after-car-crashes-during-escape-attempt/

Wael Hamzeh/EPA