Inmates riot and set fire at prison in western Indonesia

Aftermath: Prison officers inspecting the damage after inmates set fire to Langkat prison in North Sumatra province. — AFP

JAKARTA: Hundreds of police and soldiers have retaken control of a prison in western Indonesia following a riot, officials said.

Angry inmates set fire to Langkat prison in North Sumatra province, which is designed to house 900 people but now has more than 1,600, said Rika Apriyanti, a spokesperson for the Correctional Directorate at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry. Most prisoners were convicted of drug offences.