A juvenile prison in Australia has been set ablaze during an attempted mass breakout in Canberra.
Xinhua news agency reported that on Tuesday night the police deployed tear gas to contain a major disturbance at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre after inmates who escaped from their cells set the facility’s school on fire,
The incident began at 6.45 p.m. on Tuesday after an inmate stole a set of keys from a staff member and used them to release 24 fellow detainees, said Rob Farmer, Northern Territory Police Deputy Superintendent.
According to the report published in ndtv, the inmates were able to access accelerants that they used to start the fire as well as power tools that were used to cut through the exterior fence.
A farmer told reporters that “The youths had access to power tools from the workshop and some were making attempts to cut fences using grinders. They were also throwing batteries and other items at police around the perimeter fence.”
The disturbance was resolved by 3 a.m. with 12 of the detainees taken into police custody.