QUETTA, Oct 9: Eight condemned prisoners have escaped from Central Jail Mach, about 80 kms east of here on Wednesday night, police said.

In all nine prisoners escaped with the help of a rope with which they managed to climb through the backyard watch tower. However, the police arrested one of convict after giving a chase. The prisoner was a condemned prisoner identified as Mohammad Afzal Achakzai.

According to sources the jail security staff locked all the nine prisoners in two death cells after sunset. They broke the back walls of their cells and climbed on a watch tower through a rope.

Superintendent of Mach Central Jail confirming to Dawn over telephone, said they overpowered the security guard at the watch tower and escaped with the help of a rope. He said the prisoners also took away the official weapon of the security guard. However, soon after police and official of a coalmine township rushed to the area and cordoned off the whole area. One fleeing prisoner was after a long chase.

The eight other prisoners could not be traced. Official sources said a contingent of police and other law- enforcement agencies had blocked the Bolan pass which was the only way to reach other areas.

The escaped prisoners were identified as Noor Mohammad, Wali Mohammad, Baz Mohammad, Niaz Mohammad, Abdul Haleem, Wazir Mohammad, Abdul Jalil and Mohammad Ismail.