Sangrur, July 24 -- Eight drug addicts escaped from a government-run de-addiction centre in Punjab's Sangrur district after attacking a policeman and a nurse with steel plates during dinner time on Monday, police said on Wednesday. The police have formed teams to trace and apprehend the addicts, who were undergoing de-addiction treatment at the centre at Ghabbdan village. The injured policeman, inspector Malkit Singh, said that the nurse was administering medication to the inmates when some of them pushed and hit her on the head. Following this, they attacked him on the neck and tried to strangulate him, causing him to lose consciousness. Malkit Singh, who is undergoing treatment at the civil hospital, said: "Many inmates attempted to escape, but the staff managed to control them. Eight of them still managed to flee," he said, adding that some of the escapees had been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for smuggling contraband. The cops refused to provide details of the escaped inmates who were booked under the NDPS Act. The nurse, who suffered head injuries, is also undergoing treatment at the hospital. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sukhdev Singh said, "The inmates had problems with the staff. We have contacted the families of those who escaped. Appropriate action will be taken if any lapses come to light." No FIR has been registered in for far. In January last year, 10 inmates had escaped from the de-addiction centre....