The break-out occurred late yesterday when an uprising happened in the high-security penitentiary 5km from the town of Mongo, in the centre of the country.

“There are around 100 who escaped, three dead and three wounded,” Hassan Souleymane Adam, secretary-general of the Guera province in which Mongo is located, said.

A local Mongo official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said prisoners broke into a manager’s office to steal guns.

“A shootout with guards ensued, at the same time the governor arrived. He was wounded,” he said.

The Mongo official confirmed there were three dead, and put the total number of escaped prisoners at 132.

He said the prisoners revolted after complaining about a lack of food.

Chad’s justice minister Youssouf Tom told AFP by telephone that he was about to fly to region and would be able to give “precise information once I am at Mongo in the coming hours”.