The coastal county of Maryland, Liberia has been placed on a night curfew following several days of violent demonstrations involving tens of thousands of mostly female protesters.
At least 90 inmates escaped from a prison on Wednesday during the demonstrations in Harper city in the south-eastern county near the Ivory Coast border.
The violent demonstrations – mainly involving women protesters – resulted in the major jailbreak and an alleged arson.
Police spokesman Moses Carter told the BBC that the demonstrators broke into the county’s prison compound in search of an alleged killer of a motorcyclist, resulting in the escape of the inmates.
He said the police found it difficult to contain the situation because of the number of people involved – between 20,000 and 30,000.
He said the rioters also set alight the home of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who hails from the region.
Liberia’s President George Weah has imposed a night curfew as a measure to contain the uprising.
