Seven inmates are on the run after breaking out of a prison in the United States in a Shawshank Redemption-style jailbreak.
The audacious overnight escape saw ten men flee Orleans Justice Centre in Louisiana through a hole behind a toilet.
A photograph of the gap showed messages scrawled on the all that read: “To (sic) Easy LOL (laugh out loud).”
They then reportedly used blankets to scale a barbed wire fence, before dashing across a nearby highway.
In another move reminiscent of the Oscar-nominated blockbuster, the men ditched their prison clothes shortly after escaping from the facility.
It is still unclear how some of them obtained regular clothing so quickly after fleeing prison, officials said.
The prisoners are believed to have hatched their plan while the lone guard assigned to their shared cell was away grabbing food.
But Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson believes the fugitives may have had help from prison staff as police launched an urgent manhunt for the group.
The FBI and US Marshals have also joined local cops in the search.
"It's almost impossible, not completely, but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help,” Ms Hutson said.
While three have been recaptured, seven of the men — among them accused murderers — remain at large.
The escaped prisoners, who are aged 19 to 42, include Derrick Groves, 27, who was convicted in 2021 on two counts of murder and two of attempted murder at Mardi Gras in 2018.
It's almost impossible for anybody to get out without help
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill called the the successful plot "beyond unacceptable" and accused local authorities of waiting too long to inform the public.
The Attorney General’s office has reached out to neighbouring states to alert them about the prisoners, saying they have had enough time to get to "frankly anywhere across the country".
District Attorney Jason Williams said some of the men "have a history of witness intimidation of citizens who were brave enough to speak up".
New Orleans police chief Anne Kirkpatrick said the incident was an "urgent and serious situation" and encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity.
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