Thousands of Egyptian prisoners escape amidst chaos

As Cairo descends into a deepening chaos on the sixth day of anti-government protests, reports are coming in of increased looting and rampaging through upmarket shopping malls, government buildings, banks and jewelry stores. Moreover, thousands of prison inmates have been freed by gangs of armed men at four prisons, including facilities is Alexandria and Aswan.

At least 5,000 inmates escaped from a jail in El Fayoum, south of Cairo, killing a police officer.

Among the escapees were eight Hamas prisoners who broke out of a prison in Abu Zaabal prison, north of Cairo, and slipped back to Gaza.

At least 150 people have so far died in the disturbances, according to Qatar-based Al-Jazeera, while 4000 had been wounded.

President Hosni Mubarak, the target of the demonstrations, has called on more military troops and armored tanks to restore order on the streets of Cairo.

There are also reports that a large number of judges have joined the demonstrations.