Twenty prisoners have been killed in a shootout with police during a prison breakout on Sunday.

The Justice Ministry said that some prisoners had attacked guards with rocks and grabbed a gun as they attempted to flee the Farafangana prison in the southeast of the Indian Ocean island.

On the other hand, 37 out of 88 escapees have been captured by the police and army. During a shootout, another 20 were killed and 8 were wounded.

The Ministry said that 31 prisoners are still on the run. The ministry has decided to strengthen security measures.

Such incidents had happened in the past in Madagascar. Around 40 prisoners had escaped from a high-security prison in Toliary in southern Madagascar.