Dozens of inmates escape Pakistani jail after earthquakes, says official

More than 100 inmates escaped from a prison and at least one was killed in a shootout in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi overnight after they were temporarily moved out of their cells following mild earthquake tremors, officials said Tuesday.

Kashif Abbasi, a senior police official, said 216 inmates fled the prison in the capital of Sindh province before dawn. Of those, 78 had been recaptured. No one convicted or facing trial as a militant is among those who fled, he said.

One prisoner was killed and three security officials were wounded in the ensuing shootout, but the situation has been brought under control, Abbasi said, adding that police are conducting raids to capture the remaining escapees.

Paramilitary soldiers stand outside the district Malir jail after dozens of prisoners escaped from the jail on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan, on Tuesday. Reuters

Ziaul Hassan, the home minister of Sindh province, said the jailbreak occurred after prisoners were evacuated from their cells for safety during the earthquake. The inmates were still outside of the cells when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire and fled.

Though prisoners have escaped while being transported to court for trial, prison beaks are not common in Pakistan, where authorities have enhanced security since 2013 when the Pakistani Taliban freed more than 200 inmates in an attack on a prison in the northwestern district of Dera Ismail Khan.

Police officers stand guard as members of media film inside the premises of the district Malir prison in Karachi, Pakistan, on Tuesday. AP

Karachi has experienced several mild and shallow earthquakes in the past 24 hours, ranging from 2.6 to 3.4 in magnitude, according to the National Seismic Monitoring Center.

Associated Press