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A 20-year-old inmate escaped Lyon-Corbas Prison in France by hiding inside his cellmate’s laundry bag as the cellmate was released, and guards failed to notice the extra “luggage” when scanning belongings at the gate.
Prison officials admit “a series of serious malfunctions” and have opened an internal probe; local prosecutors are investigating, too.
The escapee, serving multiple sentences and linked to organized crime, is now the target of a nationwide manhunt.
France’s prison service says such a getaway is “extremely rare” and occurred amid overcrowding, with about 1,200 inmates in a facility built for 678.
Security procedures are under review to prevent repeat incidents.