Tunnel several metres long found by chance being dug near Paris prison

The tunnel contained bags of rubble and even a bed

La Santé Prison, the only prison inside Paris
Published Last updated

A tunnel stretching several dozen metres underground has been found by chance close to La Santé prison in Paris. 

The discovery was made on Tuesday morning in the 14th arrondissement of the French capital by a technician for the electricity company Enedis. 

He found “bags filled with rubble as well as a bed” while working in a shaft for electrical connections, a police source told AFP. 

Read more: French mayor arrested for corruption after clairvoyant tricked him

The hole was some 450 metres from the prison, located in the Montparnasse district of Paris, according to Le Figaro

La Santé, is one of the most famous prisons in France, and includes a VIP and maximum security wing. Famous former inmates include Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.

The last notable escape from the prison came in 1986, when robber and gang leader Michel Vaujour managed to flee in a helicopter flown by his wife. 

Read also: 14 years’ jail for man who escaped from French prison by helicopter

Police have opened an investigation into the tunnel.