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Mexico drug lord Joaquin Guzman used tunnel for prison break | Mexico drug lord Joaquin Guzman used tunnel for prison break |
(35 minutes later) | |
Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, known as El Chapo or "Shorty", used an elaborate tunnel to break out of a maximum security prison, officials say. | |
His escape route from Altiplano jail was more than 1.5km (1 mile) long and had ventilation and stairs, the national security commissioner said. | |
Eighteen guards are being questioned. | |
Guzman was last seen in the showers of the jail on Saturday. It was the second time he had escaped from a top security prison. | |
In 2001 he broke out by hiding in a laundry basket after bribing prison officials. | |
He had been serving a sentence of more than 20 years after being arrested in Guatemala in 1993. | |
His recapture in 2014 was hailed as a victory for Mexico's government. | |
Manhunt launched | |
Officials say that Guzman's escape was discovered when officers checked his cell in the jail, which is near the capital, Mexico City. | |
The tunnel began in his cell and led to a building outside the prison walls, security commissioner Monte Alejandro Rubido said at a news conference. | |
A manhunt has been launched and flights suspended at a nearby Toluca airport. | A manhunt has been launched and flights suspended at a nearby Toluca airport. |
Guzman's wealth is estimated at $1bn (£630m). | Guzman's wealth is estimated at $1bn (£630m). |
His rise to head of the Sinaloa cartel made him the world's most wanted drug trafficker. It smuggles huge amounts of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States. | |
Before his recapture in 2014, the US state department had offered a reward of up to $5m (£3.2m) for information leading to his arrest. |