Maputo — The deaths of five prisoners, shot dead while trying to escape from the Milange district jail, in the central Mozambican province of Zambezia, was due to failure to implement basic security norms, according to the commission of inquiry set up by Justice Minister Helena Kida.

The report from the commission of inquiry, cited in Tuesday's issue of the independent newssheet "Carta de Mocambique", found that at the time of the escape attempt, on the evening of 13 June, there was just one guard on duty, who was supposed to supervise 282 prisoners.

This guard opened fire but, according to the chairperson of the Commission, Yasalde de Sousa, he did not intend to kill any of the prisoners.

"The intention was not to kill, but to neutralise the prisoners", said Sousa. Given the large number of prisoners in the Milange jail, the guard feared that they might pose a threat "not only to the prison, but to the district and maybe even to the entire province".

The guard shot into the air when the prisoners broke through the first gate. Sousa said the guard only shot at the prisoners, when they tried to attack the second gate. Three prisoners died on the spot, and two others died on the way to hospital. Two other prisoners suffered minor injuries.

Sousa said disciplinary proceedings have been opened against members of the prison management because of the security lapses.

Belatedly, the authorities have stepped up security at the jail so that nothing of the sort can happen again.