Two escaped prisoners shot dead

Two of the 16 Johannesburg Correctional Centre escapees have been shot and killed in Durban, following an intense shoot-out between the Hawks and the suspects.

The Hawks received an anonymous tip-off about the whereabouts of the two escaped prisoners. They were part of the 16 who had been on the run after escaping from the correctional facility, also known as Sun City Prison, in Naturena, on Monday.

They were believed to have escaped through a pipe shaft during the early hours of the morning.

Hawks provincial spokesperson Simphiwe Mhlongo said they had received information from an anonymous source.

“We found out that the suspects were travelling along the R33 between Greytown and Pietermaritzburg,” said Mhlongo.

Assisted by the Durban K9 unit, Mhlongo said the Hawks sent a team to the scene.

“The suspects immediately fired shots, which then resulted in a shoot-out,” he said.

One suspect was in possession of a 9mm pistol and the other had a toy gun.

“I cannot reveal their names as yet because we are still waiting for family members to identify them,” he said.

Mhlongo urged the public to contact the police with any information that would lead to the arrest of the other escapees.