Prison guards on Thursday shot a prisoner who attempted to escape during a hospital visit.

The incident happened close to a hospital in The Hague, news agency ANP reported.

‘The man attempted to escape and our staff fired a warning shot,’ a prison service spokesman said. ‘That was ignored, and he was then shot once in the leg.’

The man is being treated for his injuries in hospital. Further details about the man, including the reason for his imprisonment, have not been released.

However, according to RTL news, the man was not being held at a psychiatric prison.