Liam Cochrane is the ABC's Papua New Guinea correspondent. A former Managing Editor of the Phnom Penh Post, he has hosted Radio Australia's Connect Asia and reported for radio and television across Asia and the Pacific. You can follow him on Twitter @Liam_Cochrane
Posted
| UpdatedImmigration Minister Scott Morrison says 35 asylum seekers escaped from the Manus Island detention centre last night but were quickly recaptured.
Mr Morrison says the breakout happened about 6:15pm (local time) and was the result of "much-heightened" tensions at the facility.
"Within about an hour and a quarter, control was restored to the centre," he said.
"All things were quiet last night."
Eight asylum seekers have been arrested and 19 have been treated at the centre's medical clinic, but Mr Morrison says none of the patients are "exhibiting life-threatening conditions".
Topics: immigration, community-and-society, refugees, federal-government, papua-new-guinea, australia, pacific