Drug addicts stage breakout from rehab center in southern Vietnam

By Phuoc Tuan   October 23, 2016 | 08:06 pm PT
Hundreds of inmates are still on the run after breaking out of the center.

More than 500 drug addicts used garden tools to break out of a rehabilitation center on Sunday night in the southern proveince of Dong Nai.

Media reports say that several houses were vandalized as the group of escapees made their way to the city. 

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam

The break-out happened at 9 p.m. on Sunday, according to an official from the rehabilitation center.

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-1

Some male escapees fled to a separate facility for women and broke them free. They broke the wall, door and glass windows with shovels and fire extinguishers, according to the guards.

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-2

After dinner on Sunday, some new inmates dug a hole in their room large enough to crawl through.

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-3

They then caused total chaos at the rehabilitation center by trying to break the others out.

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-4

The local social affairs department said about 562 inmates had escaped from the center, where they were receiving compulsory treatment.

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-5

“Before fleeing from the center, I heard them shouting, yelling, screaming and breaking things in their rooms,” said an inmate.

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-6

When some couldn’t break through the doors, they went for the windows.

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-7

According to the guards, some patients didn’t need to break through the walls in their 30-square-meter rooms because the doors were easily pulled off their hinges.

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-8

They covered shattered glass with blankets to climb out of the windows, and quickly flocked to the main gate of the center and threatened the guards with bricks and sticks. The 10 guards on duty failed to contain the breakout. 

drug-addicts-stage-breakout-from-rehab-center-in-southern-vietnam-9

Some 150 of the escapees have since been taken back to the center. “It was probably the fresh inmates who ignited the rebellion. This has nothing to do with complaints from the addicts about overcrowding or food shortages,” said Ho Van Loc, deputy director of the local labor department.

Related news:

Over 500 drug addicts escape from rehabilitation center in southern Vietnam

Drug users stage massive breakout from rehab center

 
 
go to top