Eight prisoners who tried to escape from prison in New Caledonia during Cyclone Cook this week have had their sentences lengthened.
The cyclone swept over the territory as a category three storm on Monday, killing one person and causing extensive damage to crops.
The territory's public broadcaster reports that in the chaos of the storm, eight prisoners tried to escape from East Camp prison in the middle of the night, but were caught by guards.
At the Noumea Correctional Court on Friday, the eight men had their sentences extended by between one and two years.
