Over 100 inmates escape Karachi prison damaged by earthquake— official
KARACHI: Over 100 inmates managed to escape from the Malir prison in Karachi late Monday night after the outer gate of the jail was damaged by tremors this week, a senior Sindh government official confirmed.
Speaking to reporters late Monday night, Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar said inmates panicked when tremors hit Karachi late Monday night. He said around 700 to 1,000 prisoners gathered outside their barracks near the jail's outer gate in panic when the tremors shook the area.
Lanjar said it became difficult for jail authorities to control a mob of 700 to 1,000 prisoners near the gate, which had been damaged by the quake.
'The gate which you can see behind me was damaged [by the earthquake] due to which the prisoners were able to escape,' the Sindh official told reporters.
He said that while authorities were counting the number of prisoners who had escaped, as per initial estimates, around 80-100 prisoners had managed to flee.
'As per what the deputy inspector general of police east has told me so far, so far 46 prisoners have been re-arrested,' Lanjar said, adding that around 18-20 prisoners were at large.
He said no 'hardened criminal' had managed to escape the jail following the late-night chaos.
In response to a question, he said one prisoner had been killed in clashes with police during the jailbreak while five persons, including both prisoners and police officials, were injured.
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