Taiwan's biggest jailbreak ends with prisoners' suicides

A tense 14-hour standoff between police and escaped convicts in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung Prison ended with the suicide of all six prisoners involved.

The inmates pretended to need medical care at about 4pm Wednesday afternoon, breaking into the facility's weapons depot and taking three prison guards hostage. 

The group was led by Cheng Li-te, head of the local chapter of the infamous Bamboo Union triad organization. The inmates were all serving sentences of more than ten years for murder, drug possession, burglary and other offenses.

Dozens of shots rang out through Daliao District that afternoon as the convicts exchanged fire with prison guards, but no injuries were reported at the time. 

The convicts later agreed to head guard Wang Shih-tsang and prison warden Chen Shih-chih's offer to swap places with the three hostages.

While the negotiations proceeded, more than 250 heavily armed officers including riot police, SWAT teams and a Marine assault squad were assembled around the prison.

As officers were preparing to move, six shots rang out at 5am, bringing what is being called the biggest jailbreak attempt in Taiwan's history to the dramatic end. Police found all six convicts dead with gunshot wounds to the head, while the hostages were left unharmed.