Fearing Building Collapse, Over 200 Inmates Escape Pak Jail During Earthquakes

At least 216 prisoners escaped from Pakistan's Karachi prison after a series of earthquakes shook the city on Tuesday. Karachi's Malir Jail houses at least 5,000 prisoners and is home to some of the country's most high-profile inmates, including terrorists.

As 3.2-3.6 magnitude tremors shook the city, panic spread among thousands of inmates as cracks appeared on the prison walls. Soon after, they started breaking the doors and locks of their cells and shattered windows in an attempt to escape.

Prisoners started yelling from their barracks and cells, fearing the building collapse, the prison superintendent told the BBC.

"The incident is not a security lapse, it's all due to a natural disaster," the official added.

What ensued was chaos, and police, along with the security forces, launched an operation to recapture the escaped inmates. Police said they fired warning shots into the air, which resulted in the death of an inmate and injuries to two prison officers.

About 80 prisoners have been recaptured, while more than 130 prisoners are still on the run, reports said.

Zia-ul Hasan Lanjhar, the Sindh Home Minister, said the government may consider reducing the sentences of inmates who return voluntarily. He issued a warning that anyone apprehended by the police would be tried under anti-terrorism legislation, according to reports.

Malir Jail is also home to more than 100 Indian inmates, most of whom are poor fishermen serving sentences for allegedly engaging in illegal fishing in Pakistani waters. 

They were detained in different barracks and stayed in their cells during the earthquake, according to a police official.

The recent jailbreak is one of the largest in Pakistan's recent history. Police are going from place to place, visiting former homes of escaped inmates to find and arrest those still on the run.