2 prisoners escape from Norway jail shortly after justice minister's visit

Two inmates escaped from a prison iny Norway on Saturday just a few hours after the country's justice minister visited the same correctional facility, local media reported.

The two prisoners, both in their 30s and from Eastern Europe, were found missing during an evening roll-call in the Hedmark prison in Ilseng, about 100 km north of Oslo, local newspaper VG quoted police as saying.

The two inmates, one of whom was convicted for violations of the Immigration Act and the other was serving a short sentence for aggravated larcenies, were not considered dangerous, police said.

Norway's Minister of Justice and Public Security Anders Anundsen visited the same prison Saturday afternoon to review the plans for the facility's expansion and development, according to public broadcaster NRK.

The Hedmark prison was established in 2010 when the three local prisons in Hamar, Ilseng and Bruvoll were merged into a common management. The Ilseng division is with low security and has a capacity for 86 inmates.