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Inmates facing murder charges among 10 escapees from New Orleans prison

Ali Abbas Ahmadi
BBC News
Getty Images A red tram in New Orleans' French Quarter, with palm trees lining both sides of the roadGetty Images
The Orleans Parish Jail is only a few kilometres from the city's famous French Quarter

Ten prisoners, several of them facing murder charges, have escaped a New Orleans jail, authorities say.

The inmates are thought to have fled around midnight, and were discovered missing during a headcount at 08:30 local time (13:30 GMT) at the Orleans Parish Jail on Friday morning.

One inmate was apprehended in New Orleans' French Quarter, police said.

The other nine inmates are considered "armed and dangerous", the Orleans Parish Sheriff's office said, adding that a search was underway.

Louisiana State Police identified one escapee as Kendall Myles in downtown New Orleans through facial recognition technology after he was caught on a surveillance camera.

He tried to flee on foot before being apprehended hiding underneath a car in a parking garage, the police force said.

He was subsequently transported back to the Orleans Parish Jail, and "is being rebooked at the facility for a new charge of Simple Escape", it said in a statement.

The New Orleans Police Department has released the names and photographs of the escapees in a post on X.

The Orleans Parish Sheriff's office initially said 11 prisoners had escaped from the facility, but the number was revised down later on Friday.

While authorities are yet to say how the inmates escaped, WDSU, an affiliate of NBC, reported they dug a hole possibly under a toilet. The BBC has not verified that account.

Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office A hole in a prison cell with a pipe visible behind barsOrleans Parish Sheriff's Office
Photos released by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office show damage inside the jail

New Orleans police chief Anne Kirkpatrick said the prisoner escape was an "urgent and serious situation" and encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity.

Victims of some of the escapees have been notified, she said, adding that several are facing murder and other violent charges.

The inmates probably had help, Supt Kirkpatrick said, and are unlikely to still be wearing prison uniforms, warning that anyone who helped the inmates would be charged.

The FBI and US Marshals have also joined local police in the search, she added.

The Orleans Parish Jail is located near the centre of the city, around 3 km (2 miles) from the city's famous French Quarter.