SAO PAULO, June 3: Seventeen prisoners escaped from a jail here Monday as football-mad Brazil ground to a halt to watch the nation’s opening World Cup match against Turkey on television.

Prison authorities said that the convicts escaped through a tunnel around 6:00 am as Brazil were kicking off their match in South Korea.

They were assisted by a group outside the prison who fired at the walls of the building to aid their escape.

The inmates jumped into a bus which was passing near the prison but a policeman on board managed to overpower one of the escapees and opened fire on another, who died in later of his injuries.

Three of the escapees were immediately re-captured.—AFP