MONTREAL - Three inmates have escaped from a detention center in Quebec City with the help of a helicopter, police said late Saturday.

Serge Pomerleau Sûreté du Québec

It's the second helicopter-aided inmate escape in Quebec province in two years.

Provincial police said the helicopter headed west from the Orsainville Detention Center after the escape.

Police identified the inmates on Twitter as Yves Denis, Denis Lefebvre and Serge Pomerleau and told anyone who sees them to not approach them and immediately contact police.

Get Breaking News Delivered to Your Inbox

In March of last year, a helicopter pilot was forced at gunpoint to pluck two inmates from the St-Jerome prison on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

Police caught the two escapees and the two suspects who hijacked the helicopter within a few hours of the escape.