Four inmates were killed and 17 others wounded in an escape attempt at Minya Prison in Upper Egypt on 14 February, according to a report by medical examiners.
The report said deaths and injuries resulted from tear gas and gunfire from security forces, in addition to stampeding and stone throwing. The head of Minya's plenary prosecution services, Ayman Mamdouh, listened to the accounts of 14 prisoners who confirmed that their fellow inmates were shot dead, while the rest were either injured by bullets or suffocated.
They also said that some prisoners dug out flagstones from cell floors and used them in the clash with security officers. Mamdouh ordered medical examiners to locate the injured who were mentioned in the reports made for each prisoner wounded during the fight.
On 14 February, the prisoners took four policemen as hostages in a bid to force security to open the prison gates, which developed into a three-hour clash, after which security forces regained control.
