Australian prisoners expelled due to mouse invasion

A devastating mouse invasion on Tuesday forced Australian authorities to evacuate hundreds of inmates from a New South Wales prison, while it was time to repair the damage caused by these tiny rodents.

In particular, rats attacked the roofs and snatched cables from the Wellington Correctional Center in the countryside.

“The health, safety and well-being of our staff and detainees is our priority, so it’s important to act quickly to complete the settlement,” New South Wales Correctional Commissioner Peter Severin said in a statement.

Up to 420 inmates and up to 200 staff will be transferred to other facilities by the end of June.

Kevin Gorkoran, deputy commissioner of prison administration, explained: “We want to do this work at once (…) so that we no longer suffer from this pain.

Australia’s east has been plagued by rats for months, attacking homes and devouring crops.

The latest disaster to hit Australian farmers is years of drought, several months of wildfires and subsequent flooding in late 2019.

These rodents appeared in October, thanks to an exceptional harvest, after the worst drought ever.

Source: AFP