At least seven prisoners escaped from Zomba Maximum Security Prison in the wee hours of Monday morning as other reports indicate prisoners went on riot to protest against the release of a rapist during the independence celebrations.

According to a reliable source at the prison, four have been re-arrested whereas the other three are at large.

Gunshots could be heard at around 1:25 am when prison authorities were involved in a cat and mouse chase with the escapees who climbed over a brick fence and freed.

“They drilled a hole through a wall of a cell and escaped. They were the ones who were serving sentences with different dates for their release. We managed to re-arrest four but three are at large. I am yet to find out what tool they used to drill the cell wall,” said the source.

Reports indicate that the inmates were irked with the release of two prisoners later in the evening whose names were on the pardon parole but were serving sentences of man slaughter and rape each.

Efforts to contact Malawi Prison's public relations officer Evance Phiri regarding the issue proved futile as his mobile phone went unanswered on several attempts.

The controversial prisoners are allegedly related to some senior politicians in government.

The two were earlier detained in the cell by their colleagues, a situation which prompted the authorities to call for reinforcement from the Police Mobile Service (PMS).

On Sunday morning, inmates at Zomba Maximum Security Prison staged a protest of the two names pardoned by President Joyce Banda. A total of 34 prisoners were released from the prison.

President Banda on July 6 2012 pardoned 377 prisoners as Malawi was celebrating 48th anniversary independence.