An attempted prison break in North Carolina has left several workers injured as fires broke out inside the facility. (Google Street View)
An attempted prison break in North Carolina left two people dead and 10 people injured as fires broke out inside the facility.
North Carolina Department of Public Safety tweeted Thursday afternoon that there was an “attempted escape at Pasquotank Cl in Elizabeth City. Fires set in prison sewing plant. Several employees injured.”
Two prison employees were killed in the attempted escape at Pasquotank Correctional Institute, but state prison spokesman Keith Acree wouldn't say how.
The department later tweeted the facility "is currently under lockdown. Fires extinguished. Situation under control." No inmates escaped during the incident, the Department of Public Safety tweeted.
The high-security prison has the capacity to hold around 900 inmates, but currently has 729, according to a tweet by the Department of Public Safety. The security fence around the facility has "a built-in electronic intrusion detection system" that "alerts armed correction officers."
Officials said 10 people were transported to two hospitals after the fire. Several of them were prison employees.
An attempted prison break at the Pasquotank Correctional Facility has left several workers injured. (North Carolina Department of Public Safety)
Schools in the area reportedly went on lockdown, but were later lifted.
Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools sent a message Thursday afternoon that “due to an incident that is taking place at the local jail north of town, Northside Elementary, Elizabeth City Middle School and Pasquotank County High School have been placed on lock down at the advice of Emergency Management,” according to WAVY.
In April, one Pasquotank inmate stabbed another after a fight broke out between the two, WAVY reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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