From correspondents in Gujarat, India, 04:30 PM IST

Eight criminals Tuesday escaped from a sub-jail in Gujarat's Panchmahals district, the police said.

The eight broke the iron rods of their prison cell's window and ran away in Halol, about 120 km from here.

Seven of them were from the nearby Vadodara city, while one was from Borsad near Anand, the Halol police said.

The eight were arrested May 17 and were booked under sections 380 and 457 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), dealing respectively with theft and house-breaking.

Search teams have been sent to nab them, the police said.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)