Canadian authorities are looking for three prisoners who escaped from the Orsainville detention center via helicopter on Saturday evening, the second such daring jailbreak in the country in 15 months.

The break occurred at around 7:45 p.m. E.T. in Orsainville prison located north of Quebec City, according to Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau.

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Officials are still determining the exact events that transpired during the escape.

For now, Canadian officials are expending all their efforts in searching for the helicopter which was described as color green with white and red markings and believed to be piloted by one man only, Bilodeau said.

"We are talking closely with the detention center to figure out exactly how the escape transpired," she said.

"The priority number one is to find the helicopter."

Airports and the military are cooperating with the authorities in the search for the missing aircraft.

The helicopter was last seen headed west from Quebec City.

Officials identified the escapees as Yves Denis Yvon Lamontagne, 35, Denis Lefebvre, 53, and Serge Pomerleau, 55.

Lamontagne and Lefebvre are reported to have previous ties with Hells Angels. In 2010, they were arrested as part of a drug bust known as Operation Crayfish which led to several arrests and confiscation of 41 vehicles, a plane, a helicopter and around $905,000, CBC Radio-Canada has learned.

No details were revealed on Pomerleau's criminal history.

The men were said to have been waiting to stand trial before the escape.

Police caution the public that the three men are dangerous and should not be approached. Citizens are advised to call the police immediately if they see them.

In a similar incident which occurred in March 2013, two prisoners escaped the St-Jerome prison near Montreal thru helicopter. One of the prisoners was also reportedly associated with the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang previous to his detention.

The two escapees together with two suspects were caught hours later by the police.

Tagsjailbreak, Montreal, Quebec, Hell's Angels, drug bust