Police are searching for hundreds of inmates who broke out of Dong Nai Province Drug Rehabilitation Centre at midnight on October 23.

After escaping the centre, hundreds of the inmates walked along Highway 1 in Xuan Loc District.

The centre was vandalised during the escape

Some addicts broke cars windows and asked for money and clothes from passers-by so that they could escape the area. At 1am, the inmates fled into residential areas to avoid police. Residents in Xuan Loc District and neighbouring communes were warned about the break out.

Police was deployed however due to large number of the escapees, they could only return several dozen to the centre. As of 4am, over 150 people had been returned in police trucks.

Hundreds of people escaped

Ho Van Loc, deputy director of provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said 600 of 1,400 inmates escaped. The 100 staff were not sufficient to do anything.

"About 400 people are still outside so we now need some monitoring methods. The authorities will work with the families of those that escaped," he said.

Police deployed to search for escapees

Each inmate receives only VND40,000 (USD1.80) a day. In addition, the centre's infrastructure is deteriorating and it is reaching overloading point.

It is said that those forced to receive compulsory detoxification treatment had agitated and encouraged other inmates to escape. Police are still searching for the escapees.

24 people escaped from the centre on September 25 and October 19.