RIO DE JANEIRO (Xinhua) − At least 89 prisoners escaped from a prison in the northern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte, getting out through a 30-meter tunnel, official sources said on Thursday.
According to the state government, the events happened on Thursday morning in the prison of Pernamirim, in the state capital of Natal.
The prisoners escaped through a tunnel of around 30 meters, which went from a prison wing to outside the walls. This is the biggest jailbreak in Rio Grande do Norte history, with just nine having been recaptured so far.
According to military police, at least two cars and a motorbike were seen outside the prison being used to help the rescue. It added that the prisoners had changed clothes from their prison outfits to make their identification more difficult.
This is the second escape from the same jail this year, after 14 prisoners broke out in January, again through a tunnel.