This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Police have quelled a major disturbance at Darwin’s notorious Don Dale youth detention centre after two inmates attacked a guard, stole his keys and released detainees from their cells. A group of inmates then set the facility’s school on fire, which was destroyed, and grabbed angle grinders to cut fences and try to escape.

At least 15 police cars, including tactical response vehicles, as well as firefighters and ambulances, rushed to the centre about 6.45pm on Tuesday amid reports of a disturbance. About three hours later flames and thick smoke could be seen billowing from the centre.

It took police more than seven hours to find all of the detainees after the emergency began. All 25 inmates are currently in cells at the Darwin police station watch.

Just after midnight about 12 detainees were spotted being taken from the centre in police vehicles after police handed the facility back to the government department overseeing it.

Shahni Wellington (@Shahni_W) Don Dale Youth Detention Centre is on fire. Crews attending @abcnews @abcdarwin pic.twitter.com/jk3rY7eefa

It is the second time in three weeks keys have been stolen from a corrections officer at Don Dale.

One staff member suffered injuries including lacerations and stitches, said Territory Families’ general manager of youth justice, Brent Warren.

He partly blamed the riot and a spate of violent incidents at the centre on the fact that it is a former adult prison not “fit for purpose” for rehabilitating young offenders.

“Territory Families inherited an adult prison that was retired a number of years ago,” Warren said. “We are trying to make do with what we’ve got. We have invested a significant amount of money changing the nature of the facility to make it look and feel more suitable for young people in detention.

“At the end of the day, it is still a retired and broken adult prison.”

Don Dale: no charges to be laid over royal commission findings Read more

Earlier this year the NT government accepted calls to close the centre after a royal commission uncovered disturbing evidence of abuse. The final report of the $54m inquiry released last November made 227 recommendations, all of which the government said it would adopt.

Footage of teenagers being tear-gassed, spit-hooded and shackled to restraint chairs in youth prisons sparked the investigation and prompted Labor to inject millions of dollars to overhaul the broken juvenile detention system.

The centre received national attention in 2016 when the ABC aired footage of the abuse of youths, including the Aboriginal teen Dylan Voller in a restraint chair wearing a spit hood.

Don Dale has continued to be the subject of negative publicity this year, with four boys accused of starting fires at the centre in July and injuries to prison guards in May.

The NT government has committed $70m for two new detention centres in Darwin and Alice Springs as part of $229.6m to be spent over the next five years to overhaul the child protection and youth justice systems, and implement the recommendations of the royal commission.