Guwahati, Oct 11: Five undertrial prisoners accused of charges under the POCSO Act escaped from the Morigaon District Jail in the early hours of Friday.

The jailbreak occurred between 1 am and 2 am, confirmed Morigaon District Commissioner Devashish Sharma. The prisoners broke the iron grille of their cell and used bed sheets, blankets, and lungis to create a makeshift rope to scale the 20-feet-high boundary wall.

The escapees were initially detained from Morigaon and Sonitpur districts. An intensive search is underway to recapture them, and a magisterial inquiry has been launched to investigate potential lapses in jail security.

Authorities are working to determine how the prisoners managed to escape and whether any security protocol was breached. Further details are awaited.