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14 inmates at large after tunneling under Mexican prison wall

Posted at 4:18 PM, Mar 26, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-26 18:18:39-04

By Mariano Castillo

CNN

(CNN) — Fourteen of 29 inmates are still on the run after they escaped by tunneling underneath a Mexican prison wall, authorities said Sunday.

The inmates escaped Wednesday from a prison in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas state secretariat of security said Saturday

According to Mexican authorities, the inmates used a tunnel that was 5 meters (16.4 feet) deep and 40 meters (131 feet) long.

During the escape, one of the inmates shot a man during a carjacking.

The prison was built in the 1940s and Mexican authorities say it is outdated and lacks appropriate security measures.

The government of Tamaulipas has been looking at the possibility of building a new jail so it can close Cedes Victoria, the prison where the inmates escaped.

Following the escape, security officials destroyed unauthorized shelters constructed by inmates on prison grounds and searched cells.

In reaction to those efforts, a riot broke out in the prison Friday night. Three inmates were stabbed to death and one was injured, officials said. The injured inmate has been transferred to a different jail in the state.

The inmates set debris on fire during the riot, but the flames were put out within an hour.

The tunnel was sealed with concrete Saturday.

CNN’s Marilia Brocchetto contributed to this report.

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