Antananarivo - Twenty two inmates managed Sunday to break out of a prison outside the capital Antananarivo in a breakout prepared over the Christmas period, local media reported Monday.

The inmates crept out through a seven-meter-long escape tunnel, dug with plastic bottles and a saucepan, before lowering themselves over the prison wall with a rope made of clothing.

One prisoner was shot to death by the guards, while four others were seized several kilometres away from the Tsiafahy prison situated outside Antananarivo.

There is no trace of the 17 remaining escapees. Several of them had been sentenced to death for their crimes, however the death penalty is no longer carried out on Madagascar.

The timing of the jailbreak coincides with the appointment of a new interior minister, whose responsibilities include the penal system. (dpa)