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prison escape

Two convicted killers are on the run after escaping from a maximum security jail in New York.

They used power tools to cut through steel pipes at a maximum-security prison near the Canadian border and escape through a manhole, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on June 6.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo described Richard Matt and David Sweat as “dangerous individuals”.

They cut through steel pipes at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora and fled through a man hole.

Andrew Cumo said the prison breakout was the first escape from the facility in 150 years.

Photo New York State Police

Photo New York State Police

“It was an elaborate plot,” the governor added.

David Sweat, 34, was serving a life sentence without parole for the first degree murder of Broome County sheriff’s deputy.

Richard Matt, 48, was given a jail term of 25 years to life for the kidnapping and beating a man to death in 1997.

The two men’s adjoining cells were found to be empty during a morning check, said Anthony Annuci, the acting state corrections commissioner.

“A search revealed that there was a hole cut out of the back of the cell through which these inmates escaped,” he added.

“They went onto a catwalk which is about six stories high. We estimate they climbed down and had power tools and were able to get out to this facility through tunnels, cutting away at several spots.”

Police are trying to determine how the men acquired the tools.

More than 200 officers are searching for the prisoners, using sniffer dogs and aerial surveillance.

Clinton Correctional Facility is about 20 miles from the Canadian border. Roadblocks have been set up in the area, according to local media.

David Sweat is described as a white male, 5ft 11in tall, with brown hair and green eyes. He weighs 165lb and has tattoos on his left bicep and his right fingers.

Richard Matt is also white and is 6ft tall.

He has black hair and hazel eyes and weighs around 210lbs.

Richard Matt’s tattoos include “Mexico Forever” on his back, a heart on his chest and left shoulder and a Marine Corps insignia on his right shoulder.

Chile has deployed military forces to the northern city of Iquique after more than 300 inmates escaped from a women’s jail following last night’s 8.2-magnitude earthquake.

Officials said about 26 had so far been captured since the quake at 20:46 local time on Tuesday.

Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet has declared disaster areas in the northern regions of Arica and Parinacota and Tarapaca, and will visit them later.

At least six people are known to have died and tens of thousands evacuated.

There have been power cuts, fires and landslides as dozens of aftershocks – including a 6.2 tremor – continued through the night.

Chile has deployed military forces to the northern city of Iquique after more than 300 inmates escaped from a women's jail following last night’s 8.2-magnitude earthquake

Chile has deployed military forces to the northern city of Iquique after more than 300 inmates escaped from a women’s jail following last night’s 8.2-magnitude earthquake

But although waves of up to about 6ft hit some areas tsunami warnings in several areas have now been lifted.

It was not clear exactly how the women inmates escaped from the prison in Iquique.

But Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said a military plane of 100 anti-riot police was being flown to work alongside 300 soldiers already operating in the city.

They will be tracking down the prisoners as well as preventing “looting and disorder”, Chilean authorities said.

The quake struck about 52 miles north-west of Iquique, a mining area.

The tremors set off landslides that blocked roads, hit power supplies, damaged a number of homes and caused fires in some businesses.

Officials said the dead included people who were crushed by collapsing walls or died of heart attacks.

Iquique Governor Gonzalo Prieto told local media that in addition to those who died, several people had been seriously injured.

The tsunami alert sent tens of thousands fleeing coastal areas of Chile. Television pictures showed traffic jams as people tried to head for safer areas.

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