More than 200 inmates have escaped from a prison in Karachi, Pakistan, after being temporarily moved from their cells for safety during earthquake tremors, officials have confirmed.
Police said several dozen of the escapees from Malir prison were swiftly recaptured, but at least 130 remain at large. Raids are currently underway to track down the remaining fugitives.
According to senior police official Kashif Abbasi, a total of 216 inmates fled during the night. So far, 78 have been recaptured. Abbasi noted that none of the escapees were convicted militants.
Escapes from Pakistani prisons are rare, particularly since security measures were reinforced following a 2013 Pakistani Taliban attack on a prison in Dera Ismail Khan, which resulted in the release of hundreds of inmates.
The jailbreak in Karachi reportedly escalated when a group of inmates, having been brought out of their cells as a precaution during the tremors, overpowered guards, seized weapons, and opened fire.
One prisoner was killed, and three security personnel were injured in a shootout that erupted during efforts to re-arrest one of the escapees.
Sindh province’s Home Minister, Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, confirmed the sequence of events, stating that the attack took place while prison authorities were following safety protocols in response to the earthquake.
