Security forces have retaken control of a crowded prison in western Indonesia where inmates set fires and started a deadly riot that left five people dead and hundreds of prisoners, including convicted terrorists, on the loose.

About 500 policemen and 300 soldiers have been deployed around Tanjung Gusta prison in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra, where the riot broke out Thursday night while fire brigades were battling the fires.

Prison directorate spokesman Akbar Hadi said Friday the situation is under control after soldiers entered the prison without resistance.

Hundreds of policemen have blocked roads linking Medan to the provinces of Aceh, Jambi and West Sumatra while searching for about 240 prisoners who escaped following the riot at the facility in the nation's third-largest city.