A Brazilian prison inmate trying to escape from a jail outside the capital city of Brasilia got stuck in a hole in wall, prompting prison guards to snap these photographs.

According to local newspapers, four Brazilian prisoners tried to escape from the Ceres jail by using a shower pipe to create a hole in the wall.

The first inmate was able to squeeze through the hole, scale a 5-metre (16-foot) wall and escape but the second inmate got stuck and eventually had to call for help, media said.

Guards called in fire-fighters who rescued the prisoner by using a hammer and drill.

Amnesty International has criticized the Brazilian government for conditions in the country's prisons which are frequently overcrowded and subject to riots.