Moscow:
Russian authorities announced a manhunt on Saturday after six convicts tunnelled their way out of a penitentiary.
Four of the six fugitives have now been arrested, while local police are pursuing the remaining two.
“I realize that the news may cause concern, but I ask you not to panic,” said Igor Artamonov, governor of the western Lipetsk region.
“Security forces continue efforts to track down and detain the criminals,” he added.
Prison guards were informed of their disappearance after a routine inspection.
“In the General Regime Penal Colony No. 2, an underground tunnel was discovered during a patrol of the premises,” the Lipetsk Region Prison Service said.
“A count of the convicts immediately began, which revealed the absence of six prisoners,” it added.
It did not reveal their identities but said in a statement that the suspects were “from Central Asia.”
Four of the refugees were arrested, two of whom were captured in the neighboring Tambov region, the local governor said.
“The search for the remaining two criminals continues,” he said.
The Lipetsk region is located about 300 kilometers south of Moscow.
Russia has one of the highest prison populations in the world, totaling more than 400,000 people last year, but the number has fallen as convicts are sent to fight in Ukraine.
Prison escapes are relatively rare in Russia and those who manage to escape are often quickly caught.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)