Over 200 prisoners escape from high-security jail following quake in Pak

PTI, KARACHI, JUNE 3: Over 200 prisoners have escaped from a high-security jail in Pakistan's port city of Karachi after chaos erupted following an earthquake, a minister said on Tuesday. Hundreds of prisoners broke down the doors of their cells after they felt tremors at Malir Jail in Karachi, which was hit by three low-intensity earthquakes on Monday, police said. Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjhar confirmed on Tuesday that 216 prisoners had escaped the jail. He added that 78 prisoners were re-captured in 24 hours.

Lanjhar said that when the tremors occurred on the night of Monday night, prisoners panicked and started resorting to violence to come out of their cells. “Police officials tried to ensure their safety and brought them out of the cells after which some prisoners resorted to violence and escaped,” he added.

According to the minister, a dozen policemen and prisoners were injured in the violence while a prisoner was shot dead while trying to escape. Lanjhar said if the prisoners returned voluntarily, the government would consider a reduction in their sentences. He warned that those caught by the police would be tried under anti-terrorism laws.

Malir Jail also houses over 100 Indian prisoners, most of them poor fishermen serving time for allegedly fishing illegally in Pakistan’s waters. A police official said that they were kept in a separate barrack and they remained in their cells during the earthquake.

Earlier, jail superintendent Arshad Shah said over 600 prisoners were taken out from their barracks during the quake, Geo TV reported.