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Over 100 prisoners escape Pakistani prison after evacuation due to earthquake
According to police officials in Sindh, while a total of 216 inmates involved in ordinary crimes escaped the prison, of those 78 had been recaptured.
A mild earthquake in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi led to the escape of more than 100 inmates from prison and the death of at least one prisoner in a subsequent shootout. The prisoners escaped after they were temporarily moved out of their cells following mild tremors, officials said on Tuesday.
Kashif Abbasi, a senior police officer, said that a total of 216 inmates involved in ordinary crimes escaped the prison before dawn in Sindh province. According to him, of those 216 prisoners, 78 had been recaptured. Among those prisoners who fled, no one has been convicted or is facing trial as a militant, he added.
One prisoner was killed in a shootout, which also injured three security officials. Abbasi also said that the situation is now under control and the police are conducting raids to capture the remaining prisoners.
Meanwhile, the home minister of Sindh province also spoke about the incident, stating that the jailbreak occurred after prisoners were evacuated from their cells for safety during the earthquake. While the inmates were still outside their cells, a group suddenly attacked the prison guards and seized their weapons. They opened fire with the weapon and fled immediately.
Since 2013, authorities in Pakistan have enhanced security measures after the Taliban freed more than 200 inmates in an attack on a prison located in the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district.
On Monday, around 1 am, three low-intensity earthquakes hit Pakistan’s Karachi within 24 hours. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the tremors were felt in Karachi's Gadap and Quaidabad areas. The first earthquake of magnitude 3.2 struck at 1:05 am in Karachi's Gadap. This was followed by a second jolt of magnitude 3.6 at the same location, and a third earthquake of 3.2 magnitude struck Karachi's Quaidabad area on Monday morning.
(With AP Inputs)
