In China, prison escapes are few and far between. So the case of two men escaping from a Liaoning prison has turned into a nationwide hunt.
In an unusual step, Chinese media are appealing for the public’s help in tracking down the escapees and have even publicised a reward for information leading to their capture of 100,000 yuan (£11,185, $14,558).
The pair, who are still believed to be in the province, were serving life sentences in northeastern Liaoning province.
It is very unusual for an inmate to escape from detention in China, and just as unusual for media to report it. Chinese media usually refrain from publicising incidents that might cause public alarm and usually only carry reports once an incident has been resolved or brought under control.
The two prisoners are 33-year-old Wang Lei and 39-year-old Zhang Guilin. They were being held at the Lingyuan Third Prison in northeastern Liaoning province when they escaped.
Little has been reported about Wang Lei, who was sentenced to death for kidnapping in 2017. Reports say his execution was suspended for two years, and that at the end of 2017, it was commuted to a life sentence for good behaviour.
Much more is made of 39-year-old Zhang Guilin, who was serving a life sentence for robbery. He was initially sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2001, but reoffended in 2008, a year after he was released from prison. Read more