A Danish inventor convicted of killing and dismembering journalist Kim Hall on his homemade submarine has been recaptured after a dramatic prison escape.
Peter Madsen escaped from Herstedvester Prison in Copenhagen on Tuesday after taking a psychologist hostage.
The Guardian reported he threatened a prison employee with what appeared to be an explosive device and escaped to a nearby white van.
However, he was dragged out by police officers and handcuffed on the side of the road for several hours until specialists established the belted bomb-like belt around his waist was a fake.
At a press conference on Tuesday, head of the prison Hanne Høegh Rasmussen said her employees had been traumatised by the incident but no one was physically hurt.
Danish Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup described the escape as "deeply serious" in a statement.
"It goes without saying that convicted prisoners who have committed the worst possible crimes should not be able to escape from the custody of the authorities," he said.
"Therefore, I have asked the probation service for an explanation so that we can clarify how this escape attempt could take place."
Hækkerup said this was not the first prisoner serious escape and extra security measures had been implemented since then.
"This is clearly still needed. One thing is for sure: we will launch a number of further measures against prisoner escapes in the near future."
Madsen was sentenced in 2018 to life imprisonment for killing journalist Kim Wall.
He was a prolific inventor who had made a name for himself after building three submarines and creating two crowdfunded projects to launch humans into space.
Wall, a well-known journalist who had written for the Guardian and New York Times, was lured onto his submarine in August 2017 with the promise of an interview.
Her body was dismembered and dumped at sea.
A member of the public who was cycling on Copenhagen's southern Amager Island discovered Wall's headless torso. Her arms, legs and head were later discovered by police.
At Madsen's trial, judge Anette Burkø, described the crime as a "cynical and pre-planned sexual assault of a particularly brutal nature".
Police inspector Mogens Lauridsen said after the escape, Madsen was transferred to another prison.
