Murderer suffocates to death while attempting escape through toilet tunnel in jail
The dirt tunnel continued for 230ft underneath the prison
However, shortly before he was able to dig himself out, he is believed to have suffered an acute lack of oxygen, and despite making it back to his cell, he died soon after.
Heavily-fortified
After his death, jail staff and police after the inmate, who was serving time for murder, managed to make it back to his cell after becoming ill inside the hole, but died soon after.
Shocked officers discovered a hole which began underneath the toilet in Evangelista's cell in Wing 7 of the Monte Cristo penitentiary, the largest prison in Brazil's northernmost state of Roraima.
The dirt tunnel continued for 230ft underneath the prison and had already passed under its heavily-fortified outer walls and electric fences, according to prison authorities.
Excavate
The tunnel is believed to have taken months to excavate and was reportedly just a few metres away from reaching the surface in surrounding forest outside.
Officers found several bags of dirts and an electric cable which ran the length of the tunnel, with a lightbulb on the end.
The state justice department, Sejuc, which is in charge of the prison, said 150 policemen took seven hours to locate the tunnel after prison officers were alerted to its existence following Evangelista's death.
Our newsletter gives you access to a curated selection of the most important stories daily.
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: news@pulselive.co.ke
Recommended articles
![Linet Toto excited as she unveils sleek ride after 1 month in office [Photos]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'244'%20height%3D'139'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Linet Toto excited as she unveils sleek ride after 1 month in office [Photos]")
Linet Toto excited as she unveils sleek ride after 1 month in office [Photos]
Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote poised to overtake another Russian billionaire Vladimir Lisin on Bloomberg billionaires list
Diwali 2022: Is Monday a public holiday in Kenya?
Mzee Kibor's will made public, revealing how vast wealth and millions will be distributed
Ini Edo posts new photos amid reports of welcoming a baby through surrogacy
Mathias Pogba brands Paul Pogba 'a so-called Muslim steeped in witchcraft' amid fetish claims about Kylian Mbappe
Referee behind chaos at AFCON was rushed to hospital after match
Ne-Yo speaks out after wife Crystal announced end of their 8-year marriage