Greater than 200 inmates escape Pakistan jail after earthquake

Greater than 200 prisoners escaped from a jail in Pakistan’s largest metropolis following an earthquake within the early hours of Tuesday, police stated.

Hundreds of inmates broke down doorways and the locks of their cells and shattered home windows after they felt tremors shake the partitions at Malir Jail in Karachi.

Of those that escaped the jail, police stated 80 inmates had been recaptured and searches have been ongoing for greater than 130 nonetheless at giant. One prisoner was killed within the operation and two jail officers injured.

A jail superintendent advised the BBC inmates started shouting from their cells and barracks round midnight as they have been terrified the constructing would collapse on high of them.

After the frenzy turned violent, police stated they responded with warning photographs, firing weapons into the air.

Whereas many returned to their cells, others stormed the principle gate in panic – with 216 inmates utilizing the chance to flee the jail altogether.

Police at the moment are going door-to-door, visiting previous residences to arrest those that are nonetheless on the run.

The ability within the Malir district is Sindh province’s second largest jail, and is over capability. Whereas it will possibly accommodate as much as 2,200 prisoners, there are not less than 5,000 inmates there presently.

The minister for prisons within the province, Ali Hassan Zardari, has ordered an investigation and warned any officers at fault can be disciplined.

The jail’s superintendent advised the BBC the incident is “not a safety lapse, it is all because of a pure catastrophe”.

He stated safety groups on the jail have been on excessive alert, and responded to the incident all through.

Households have been protesting exterior the jail’s most important gates, and police stated family members of different inmates are pissed off that visits have been postponed.

Further reporting by Usman Zahid