KARACHI, Pakistan, June 5: More than 200 prisoners escaped from a jail in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi after panic erupted during an evacuation prompted by a series of earthquakes, authorities said on Tuesday, describing it as one of the most serious jailbreaks in recent years.
The mass escape occurred late Monday night at Malir Jail after tremors prompted prison staff to evacuate over 600 inmates from their barracks, according to jail superintendent Arshad Shah.
“Amid the chaos, 216 managed to flee,” Shah told local media. He said over 80 of those escapees have since been recaptured, while search operations are underway to locate the remaining 135. One prisoner was killed during the incident, while three personnel from the paramilitary Frontier Corps and a jail official were injured, Geo News reported.
Authorities have launched a joint operation involving local police and paramilitary forces to track down the fugitives. Sindh province’s Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar said targeted raids were being carried out at the homes of the escapees and surrounding areas.
“All escaped inmates have been identified,” Lanjar said, adding that an enquiry committee would be formed to investigate security lapses that led to the breach.
Malir Jail, one of Karachi’s largest detention facilities, was holding over 6,000 inmates at the time of the escape, the majority facing charges related to drug trafficking, officials said.
The jailbreak followed a series of tremors in Karachi, which has experienced at least 16 mild earthquakes since Sunday, according to the Seismic Monitoring Centre of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
The incident has raised serious concerns over the preparedness of Pakistan’s prison system to handle natural disasters and maintain order during emergencies.
