2011-01-30 17:43

CAIRO -  Thousands of prisoners escaped from the Wadi Natrun facility in north of Cairo amid the nationwid riots, reports in Cairo said Sunday, quoting security officials.

Earlier the Dubai-based Arabiya TV reported that around 5,000 Egyptian prisoners broke out of a prison in the Fayyoum Govenorate on Saturday night.

However, the news cannot be confirmed immediately as the Internet and telecommunications were down in some parts of the country.

According to other media reports, only some 700 prisoners escaped in the prison in Fayyoum, a desert area southwest of Cairo.

Demonstrations turned into riots on Saturday in Cairo and other major governorates, where government buildings have been robbed by looters and clashes between protesters and policemen have led to deaths of many people.

Despite the resignation of the Egyptian government and appointment of a vice president and new prime minister, Egypt still saw thousands of protesters defy the curfew Saturday night.

According to the Egyptian Health Ministry, the nationwide death toll has reached 51 by Saturday afternoon. The number may rise.