Berlin ups number of New Year prison escapees to nine

Berlin authorities faced a firestorm of criticism Tuesday after nine people escaped a city prison in successive walkouts and jailbreaks over the past week. Tabloid-style Bild daily labelled the security lapses "incomprehensible", city-state politicians urged local justice chief Dirk Behrendt to step down, and Twitter users mocked the penal facility's "open door" policy. Behrendt acknowledged on Tuesday that two other inmates had escaped at the weekend, news agency DPA reported, which put the number of escapees still on the run at seven.