216 inmates escape Malir Jail after earthquake

KARACHI: A major security breach occurred at Malir Jail as 216 inmates escaped following tremors felt in the area, according to prison authorities.

Despite initial concerns, no prison walls collapsed or were damaged during the incident.

As soon as the earthquake tremors were felt, inmates began breaking down the doors of their barracks. The prisoners managed to force open the gates, causing significant damage to jail property in the process.

In the chaos, the inmates vandalized various facilities, including breaking the control tower’s LCD screen, smashing glass panels, damaging water coolers, and destroying wash basins.

Out of approximately 600 inmates, 216 managed to escape. Authorities have so far re-arrested 78, while 138 remain at large.

At the time of the incident, only 250 personnel were assigned to guard the 622 prisoners. An investigation into the security lapse is underway.

Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar, addressing the incident of inmate escape during the earthquake at Malir Jail, clarified that the prison wall was not breached. He stated that the inmates managed to flee through the gate rather than breaking any walls.

According to prison officials, over 200 inmates escaped from Karachi’s Malir Jail on Monday night during the chaos caused by earthquake tremors.

An investigation is currently underway to determine how the breach in security occurred and to apprehend the remaining fugitives.

In the aftermath of the Malir Jail escape during earthquake tremors, one inmate lost his life while three prisoners, three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, and two jail police officers sustained injuries. All injured individuals were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for treatment.