Tura, May 4: Meghalaya's director-general of prisons B.L. Baum today visited Williamnagar jail in the East Garo Hills district to take stock of the escape of six prisoners yesterday.

He had rushed to Williamnagar yesterday to conduct an inquiry to ascertain whether any of the jail staff had a hand in the incident.

Five militants, all under-trial prisoners, and a rape convict escaped after overpowering jail guards deputed at the front gate.

Three of the escapees, Sengchang Sangma, Raksim Momin and Dinesh Marak, were members of the A'chik Songna An'pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK), while Grewith D. Sangma and Jasan Marak belong to the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).

Chingkam Marak was serving jail term for the 2013 Williamnagar rape case.

Sengchang and Raksim were involved in the killing of Bharat Singh Shekhawat, a businessman from Rongsak village in East Garo Hills, in October last year.

Dinesh was one of the nine ASAK cadres who were arrested in East Garo Hills district in July last year. He was the self-styled "commander" of the group's "special command".

East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Cyril Diengdoh said a preliminary inquiry into yesterday's jailbreak had been completed.

"A probe is being initiated by Meghalaya police prisons department," he added.

Diengdoh has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

The police said a search was on to apprehend the escapees.

"Prisoners are allowed to play volleyball within the jail premises in the afternoon and it was on this pretext that one of the escapees approached the main gate of the prison. There is a narrow pipe hole from outside the gate and they took advantage of this," superintendent of Williamnagar jail Bablu Marak said.