Australian police capture more outback escapees

Police scouring the Australian outback have captured four more asylum seekers who broke out of a remote immigration detention…

Police scouring the Australian outback have captured four more asylum seekers who broke out of a remote immigration detention camp.

The four men were among 35 detainees who staged a mass escape yesterday from the Woomera detention camp, a police spokeswoman said today.

They were turned in by residents of the small town of Coober Pedy, north of Adelaide, the spokeswoman told Reuters.

"They popped there heads up and local residents notified authorities," she said.

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Earlier five of the escapees were recaptured leaving 26 still at large, the spokeswoman said.

A ground and air search was under way for the 26, she said.

"As far as I know, everyone is in good health," she said.

The break-out occurred as 162 of 210 detainees at Woomera, including 17 children, refused food and water in a protest against conditions in the camp and the time it takes to process visa application.

Two of the protesters have sewn up their lips.