Five inmates at a prison in southern Thailand were killed Wednesday in a struggle with guards after they attempted to escape, police said.
Police Captain Pornchai Sriudom told AFP that about seven prisoners jailed in Muang, some 1,149 kilometers (714 miles) south of Bangkok, clashed with guards around 9:00 am (0000 GMT) as they tried to escape.
The inmates wrested batons from several prison guards and beat them until other prisoners stepped in to defend the guards. A chaotic fight carried on for half an hour before prison authorities subdued the fracas.
In the aftermath of the melee, four prisoners were found dead, with the cause of death uncertain, officials said.
Another prisoner died later at a hospital where two other prisoners and two guards were undergoing treatment for serious injuries.
"The investigation is going on, but it is likely to be a jailbreak by prisoners as they are held for serious crimes," Pornchai added – Bangkok (AFP)
