Over 200 prisoners fled the District Malir prison in Karachi late Monday evening after a series of earthquake shocks, in one of Pakistan’s biggest ever jailbreaks, officials reported on Tuesday.
The mass escape started around midnight after inmates were temporarily taken out into the courtyard by prison guards as a precautionary move in the wake of tremors. Panic among the prisoners as a result of the quakes led to a chaotic scene, said Sindh Law Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar.
Police authorities reported that prisoners overpowered the security personnel, grabbed firearms, and had a shootout before kicking open the main gate and escaping. At least one convict died and three guards were wounded in the breakout, confirmed Provincial Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon.
Eyewitnesses, such as a security guard posted across from the jail, reported hearing extended gunfire and witnessing inmates running in all directions, some of whom even entered adjacent apartment complexes before being captured.
When journalists toured the prison Tuesday morning, they found broken windows, equipment, and a trashed family visiting room. Outside the building, worried families lined up looking for news of their imprisoned loved ones.
The jail accommodates some 6,000 prisoners, but officials have only been able to capture about 80 of the fugitives so far, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah stated. He condemned the release of the prisoners into the courtyard and cautioned that the remaining fugitives would be charged with greater severity if they failed to turn themselves in voluntarily.
Jail Superintendent Arshad Shah minimized the breach, saying only a handful escaped and citing a shortage of surveillance cameras as well as inadequate staffing just 28 guards were on duty during the night. Most of the inmates, authorities observed, were petty criminals, including drug addicts perturbed by the quakes.
Manhunts have been initiated by authorities, and reinforcements have been sent to secure the perimeter and pursue the escaped fugitives who remain at large.
