Eight out of 15 inmates who escaped from the prison in the central Zambezia province, Mozambique have been capture, prison authorities said.

The National Prison Service Provincial Director in Zambezia, José dos Santos, said the eight were found within the province and that the operation to capture the remaining inmates was ongoing.

The prisoners, who had been serving different jail terms for different offences, escaped from the Ile district prison in May last year.

They broke a window of a female prison cell and escaped through it.

The incident had coincided with a visit by the Deputy Justice Minister Filimão Suaze to the province.