Manhunt Begins After 10 Inmates Escape New Orleans Jail Through Wall

A major manhunt has begun in New Orleans after ten inmates escaped from a city jail in the early hours of Friday by breaking through a wall behind a toilet. The brazen breakout went undetected for more than eight hours, prompting serious concerns over security lapses at the facility.

Authorities confirmed that the fugitives managed to smash a hole behind a cell toilet, navigate their way through the detention centre, and scale an outer enclosure wall. The escape was only discovered during a morning headcount at 8:30am, well after the group had vanished.

Initial reports suggested 11 prisoners had escaped, but officials later corrected the figure to ten. One inmate was captured a few hours later, discovered hiding beneath a car in a tourist area of the city. The remaining nine are still on the run and are considered “armed and dangerous,” according to law enforcement.

Local media have reported that some of the escapees were being held on murder charges, raising further alarm in the Louisiana city, a major US tourist destination.

Photos circulating online show the aftermath of the jailbreak, including a gaping hole in the wall of a cell, above which graffiti reads “we innocent,” “we out,” and “to [sic] easy.”

The incident has sparked criticism over prison security and questions about how such a breach could occur without alerting authorities sooner. Police and federal agencies are continuing to comb the area in a bid to recapture the remaining fugitives.