In a daring overnight escape, two inmates broke out of a jail in Dijon prison, France, by sawing through cell bars and lowering themselves with bedsheets, prosecutors said Thursday.

The fugitives—a 19-year-old held since October 2024 on attempted-murder charges and a 32-year-old imprisoned for violence—slipped out shortly before dawn.

Prison staff warned that overcrowding and outdated security systems increase the risk of breakouts. One union official noted previous alerts about smuggled saw blades—a common problem at underresourced facilities like Dijon. The escape spotlights recurring structural and security concerns at older jails across France, prompting calls for urgent reforms.