Inmates take warden, officer hostage at Taiwan prison

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5:50 am Beijing Time

Six inmates who were holding two staff hostage at a prison in Taiwan's southern city of Kaohsiung killed themselves on Thursday morning, bringing to end a 10-hour standoff, Taiwan's local cable TV network Eastern Television reported.

Armed riot police gather outside the Kaohsiung Prison in southern Taiwan on February 11, 2015. Six prison inmates in Taiwan, who are believed to be armed, have taken three staff hostage at a jail in the southern city of Kaohsiung, officials said on February 11. [Photo/CFP]

TAIPEI - Six inmates at Kaohsiung Prison in southern Taiwan armed with guns, took the prison warden and one other officer hostage on Wednesday afternoon.

The prisoners fired several shots heard outside the prison. Heavily armed SWAT police were dispatched to the scene. There have been no reports of injuries.

The inmates pretended to seek medical attention at about 4 pm local time and took an undisclosed number of prison officials hostage to the prison armory where they took four rifles and six handguns as well as over 200 bullets, according to deputy justice chief Chen Ming-tang.

Deputy warden Lai Chen-jung and head guard Wang Shih-tsang then offered to swap places with the hostages, Chen said.

Warden Chen Shih-chih then offered himself as a hostage in exchange for his deputy's release, leaving the gunmen with Wang and Warden Chen, officials said.

The inmates, reportedly serving prison terms for various crimes including drug offenses, robbery and murder, have demanded a getaway car, Chen said.

As the faceoff continues, police are seeking to resolve the crisis through negotiation.