20 inmates escape from Iranian prison

By Muhammet Kursun

TEHRAN (AA) - At least 20 inmates escaped mid-afternoon from Parsilon Prison in Iran, according to local media Thursday.

Police blocked the entrance and exit to the city in western Lorestan province amid security measures.

The country has freed 85,000 prisoners in one of the worst-hit nations by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The death toll in Iran from the outbreak rose to 1,284, according to local media.

Authorities said 149 people died in the last 24 hours, while 1,046 new cases have emerged, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 18,407, Iran's state TV quoted Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour.

The virus known as COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 159 countries and territories. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.

Out of more than 222,000 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 9,100, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the U.S.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who become infected suffer only mild symptoms and recover.