DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: 3 INMATES KILLED IN ATTEMPTED PRISON BREAKOUT

Spanish/Nat Prison guards in the Dominican Republic, Thursday, killed three inmates and wounded at least 10 during an attempted breakout from the prison. The prisoners took advantage of a power outage at the Azua jail to bust open their cell doors and attempt a mass escape. Three prisoners were killed and at least ten others were in injured in a failed jailbreak in the town of the same name - some 85 miles (120 kilometres) west of the capital, Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Prison guards shot at the inmates as they attempted to break out of the prison. National Police said the inmates took advantage of a power outage to bust open their cell doors and attempt the mass escape. But no prisoners managed to escape. Police investigators were sent to the jail to make an assessment of the incident. Some of the prisoners described how their fellow inmates died. UPSOUND: (Spanish) - Riddled with bullets, riddled with bullets - they were begging 'don't kill us, don't kill us,' we have surrendered, but they shot their guns in front of everyone right out there. - How many gunshots did each get - four - this is abuse. SUPER CAPTION: Prisoners They say conditions in the prison are terrible. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Hey, here in jail there is little food and medication. Here in jail Dominican society, both civilian and military, are creating more crime. They do not treat us well. The worse delinquents get out of jail because it creates evil and delinquents. SUPER CAPTION: Prisoner It is not the first time there's been trouble at the Azua jail - this is the seventh mass disturbance at the prison since it opened last September. But the Azua jail authorities are not alone in these problems - jails in Latin America are commonly the scene of such escape attempts and violent riots You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d24ac6e09ec1bb6f03d8962c4a9241b9 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork