New York’s governor says two convicted murderers “had to be heard” as they cut through steel and escaped from a maximum-security prison.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that Richard Matt and David Sweat broke out of the Clinton Correctional Facility in “a really elaborate, sophisticated operation” that involved shimmying through a steam pipe.

The men were reported missing from their beds at about 5:30 a.m. Saturday.

Roadblocks were set up in the area of the prison, about 20 miles from the Canadian border. Bloodhounds and helicopters were being used to track down the men.

Cuomo said officials were reaching out to the families of the men’s victims.

(AP)