The prison of Lyon-Corbas is seen on February 20, 2019, in Corbas, France. JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images

France's prison service said Saturday it had launched an investigation after a man escaped by smuggling himself into his cellmate's bag as he left jail, having served his sentence.

The 20-year-old prisoner escaped from Lyon-Corbas prison, near Lyon, southeast France, on Friday, broadcaster BFMTV reported. His cellmate had completed his sentence and the escaped prisoner managed to hide in his laundry bag as he left prison, the outlet reported.

The inmate was serving several sentences, the prison service said in a statement to AFP.

He "took advantage of the liberation of his fellow inmate to hide himself in his luggage and get out," the statement said.

The escaped prisoner was also under investigation in a case linked to organized crime, a source close to the affair told AFP.

An internal investigation is underway and Lyon prosecutors had opened their own investigations, the prison service added.

Sébastien Cauwel, the director of the prison administration, told BFMTV on Sunday that an "accumulation of errors" and "a series of serious malfunctions" led to the escape.

"This is an extremely rare event that we have never experienced in this administration," he said.

Last month, the Lyon Bar Association raised concerns about overcrowding at the Lyon-Corbas prison, the BBC reported.

As of May 1, 2025, about 1,200 people were detained in the prison, which has capacity for 678 inmates, BFMTV had reported.

Source