Daring prison break in guards’ uniforms grips China
Manhunt under way for two men who were serving life sentences
Two inmates have broken out of a jail in northeast China apparently using a key card and stolen guards’ uniforms – and for one of them it is the third time he has escaped.
A 100,000 yuan (US$14,500) reward has been offered for information leading to the capture of the two men, Wang Lei, 33, and Zhang Guilin, 39, according to a notice from the Lingyuan No 3 Prison in Liaoning province.
The prison break on Thursday, in the middle of the week-long National Day holiday, has gripped China, with rare details being reported in the media and many people commenting on the case online – some questioning how the prisoners could have been allowed to escape wearing guards’ uniforms.
It is still unclear exactly how the two felons broke free from the jail, but state broadcaster China National Radio on Friday reported that they may have got out by smashing a window and fence.
Official newspaper Beijing Youth Daily had earlier reported that the two men had walked out dressed in uniforms and using key cards they had stolen.
They are believed to be still in the province, which is in lockdown while a manhunt in under way, according to the prison.
The facility – located in western Liaoning, near Inner Mongolia and Hebei – is one of six prisons in Lingyuan, a small city with a population of 650,000.