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Some inmates at the Kumasi Central Prisons on Wednesday night nearly took advantage of a fire outbreak amid rainfall to escape from the yard.

It took the entire prisons officers, with an immediate back-up from the police and military, barely two hours, to tame the over 2,000 inmates and safeguard the prisons yard.

When the Daily Graphic reporters got to the scene at exactly 8:20 pm, two fire tenders had already arrived and was on the verge of putting out the fire.

It was then that some prison officers came out of the yard to lodge complaints that they had been assaulted by some of the inmates who had taken hostage of the premises.

The situation worsened when the inmates got access to the warehouse, where they retrieved tools such as pickaxes, cutlasses, cooking utensils, plastic chairs etc., which aided them to fight back the security personnel. 

As part of moves by the security officers to take back control of the yard, several warning shots were fired, as well as tear gas and hot water before they could take control of these desperate inmates.

The Daily Graphic could not independently confirm claims that two of the inmates died in the ensuing confrontation. A number of security personnel also got injured and were taken to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for care.

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