11 Escapees Back in Jail after Madagascar Prison Break

Madagascar police have recaptured 11 out of 31 escaped prisoners, one day after a breakout that ended in a deadly shootout, the justice ministry said Monday.

Police opened fire on scores of inmates trying to flee Farafanga prison on Sunday, capturing 37 but killing 20 and wounding eight in the process.

Thirty-one managed to escape the prison, located in the southeast of the Indian Ocean island, and were still on the run late on Sunday.

The justice ministry said 11 of those escapees had since been caught and that one had been found dead, leaving 19 to account for.

"Forty-eight inmates have been captured (in total) so far and another death has been recorded, bringing the number of fatalities to 21," the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Mass prison escapes are not uncommon in Madagascar.

In 2016, around 40 detainees broke out from a high-security prison in Toliary in southern Madagascar.

The police and army were called in on Sunday after almost 100 prisoners turned against guards with rocks and a stolen gun.

The ministry said the weapon had been recovered and has vowed to boost security at penitentiaries across the country.