A prisoner has gone missing from Bastøy Prison in Norway after security protocols failed. Local residents reported hearing a siren resembling an air raid alarm on Saturday evening.
Prison staff confirmed they activated alarms due to a staffing shortage during evening rounds. An employee stated they had a deficiency in their evening security procedures.
Erling Feste, regional director for the Correctional Service, confirmed police have been notified. Prison officials are conducting new headcounts to verify the escape.
We do not know if the person remains on the island or what happened, Feste said in a statement. The individual failed to appear during routine counting, so we are now searching for them.
Bastøy Prison operates as a low-security facility located on Bastøy Island in the Oslofjord within Horten municipality. This type of institution typically houses inmates considered lower risk.
The escape from a facility meant to be secure raises questions about staffing levels and security protocols at Norwegian correctional institutions. Prison breaks remain rare in Norway's generally well-regarded penal system.
Police have been contacted about the incident but have not yet provided public comments.