Thirteen prisoners from the swamped area of the Lusignan Prison have escaped, police said.

Head of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Guyana Police Force, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum confirmed tbe escape.

Another police source said the prisoners dug a hole and fled the highly walled area. Heavily armed police and soldiers had been deployed around that East Coast Demerara jail following the July 9 escape and burning down of the Georgetown Prison.

Government has since appealed to the public to remain calm and vigilant as well as “take all necessary precautions and report all suspicious activities to the nearest police station or outpost.”

“The public is asked to avoid the lower East Coast Demerara backlands until further notice,” a government spokesman said.

Blanhum said the joint services have launched a man hunt for who Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan has described as the “real bad ones”.

Ninety prisoners had been held in the swampy area up to last week Friday as authorities had feared that they would have created havoc had they been transferred to the recently asphalted and roofed area.

Four prisoners who fled the Georgetown Prison at the time of the fire are yet to be recaptured.