Security forces patrol Wau town after the prison break. Photo: supplied

At least one inmate is feared dead and three prison warders reportedly wounded when inmates escaped from Wau Central Prison in Western Bahr-El-Ghazal State on Monday afternoon.

The Director-General of Wau Central Prison, Major-General Peter Madut Parajowk says the inmates grabbed weapons from guards and started shooting to aid their escape.

Police reportedly exchanged fire with the inmates, causing gunshot wounds to some inmates, while one is feared dead.

Maj. Gen Madut stated that organized forces re-arrested 17 inmates but some of them managed to escape.

He could not disclose how many inmates run away.

“What happened is that inmates have taken away guards’ weapons in the prison after they took the guns, they started shooting,” Gen. Madut told Eye Radio.

“Some of them run toward the gun store, while we were running to the gun store. During the shooting, they wounded 3 soldiers that were guarding the prison, and they escaped over the prison fence.”

The Wau prison director could not tell how many inmates were in the facility at the time of the incident.