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Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
More than 200 prisoners break out of Pakistani jail after quake panic
The inmates overpowered prison guards after being allowed to leave their cells following a series of tremors. (EPA Images pic) KARACHI : More than 200 inmates escaped from a jail in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi late yesterday when they overpowered prison guards after being allowed to leave their cells following a series of earthquakes, local officials and police said. The jailbreak began just before midnight and continued into the early hours of today after hundreds of prisoners were allowed into the courtyard of the District Malir prison because of the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, told reporters at the scene today. Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff and forced open the main gate after a shootout, evading paramilitary soldiers. At least one prisoner was killed and three guards wounded, said provincial police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon. 'I heard the firing for quite some time and then some time later prisoners made their way out running in all directions,' Bukhsh, a private security guard at a residential complex opposite the jail who goes by a single name, told Reuters. He added that some of the prisoners entered the apartment complex before being taken away by police. Today, a Reuters reporter who visited the prison saw shattered glass and damaged electronic equipment. A meeting room, for prisoners to see their families, had been ransacked. Anxious family members had gathered outside. The jailbreak was one of the largest ever in Pakistan, Lanjar said. The prison, which houses 6,000 inmates, is in the Malir district of Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city. Prisoners ran through the area throughout the night, some of them barefoot, with police giving chase, local TV footage showed. About 80 of those who escaped had been caught, said Murad Ali Shah, the provincial chief minister. The jail's superintendent, Arshad Shah, told reporters that there were 28 prison guards on duty at night, and that 'only a few of such a large number of prisoners escaped'. He said the prison did not have security cameras. Officials said the inmates, many of them heroin users, had been unnerved by the earthquakes. 'There was panic here because of earthquake tremors,' said Lanjar. The provincial chief minister said it was a mistake for prison authorities to have allowed the prisoners to leave their cells. He urged the inmates still at large to hand themselves in, or face a serious charge for breaking out. 'Petty crime charges will become a big case like terrorism,' Shah said.
The Herald
3 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Over 200 prisoners break out of Pakistani jail after earthquake panic, says official
Over 200 prisoners escaped in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi late on Monday after they were permitted to leave their cells following a series of earthquake tremors, local officials and police said. Hundreds of prisoners were allowed into the courtyard of the jail due to the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, told reporters at the scene. "There was panic here because of earthquake tremors," said Lanjar, adding that it was hard to control a throng of up to 1,000 people. The jailbreak began just before midnight on Monday and carried on till the early hours of Tuesday, he said. Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff, leading to a shootout, and then forced open the main gate. On Tuesday, a Reuters reporter at the site saw shattered glass and damaged electronic equipment inside the jail. A meeting room, for prisoners to see their families, had been ransacked. Anxious family members gathered outside the jail on Tuesday. It was one of the largest jailbreaks ever in Pakistan, Lanjar said. The prison in the Malir district of Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, is in a poor residential and industrial neighbourhood. Prisoners ran through the area through the night, some barefoot, chased by police, with police managing to round some up into police vans, local TV footage showed. Provincial police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said that most of the inmates had been involved in small-time crimes like drug addiction. At least one prisoner was killed in the shooting, which also wounded three prison staff, he said. Murad Ali Shah, the provincial chief minister, said that around 80 prisoners had so far been caught, adding that it was a mistake for the prison authorities to have allowed the inmates out of their cells. He warned those still at large to hand themselves in, or face a serious charge for breaking out. "Petty crime charges will become a big case like terrorism," Shah said. Reuters
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Hundreds of prisoners break out of jail after earthquake panic
More than 200 inmates escaped a jail in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi after overpowering guards who had allowed them out of their cells following a series of earthquakes, officials have said. The jailbreak at the District Malir prison unfolded just before midnight Monday and continued into the early hours of Tuesday. Prisoners had been allowed into the courtyard because of the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, said on Tuesday. Police said that the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff and forced open the main gate after a shootout, evading paramilitary soldiers. At least one prisoner was killed and three guards wounded, according to Provincial Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon. "I heard the firing for quite some time, and then some time later, prisoners made their way out running in all directions," Bukhsh, a private security guard at a residential complex opposite the jail, said. He added that some of the prisoners entered the apartment complex before being taken away by police. On Tuesday, a Reuters reporter who visited the prison saw shattered glass and damaged electronic equipment. A meeting room, for prisoners to see their families, had been ransacked. Anxious family members had gathered outside. The jailbreak was one of the largest ever in Pakistan, Lanjar said. The prison, which houses 6,000 inmates, is in the Malir district of Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city. Prisoners ran through the area throughout the night, some of them barefoot, with police giving chase, local TV footage showed. About 80 of those who escaped had been caught, said Murad Ali Shah, the provincial chief minister. The jail's superintendent, Arshad Shah, told reporters that there were 28 prison guards on duty at night, and that "only a few of such a large number of prisoners escaped". He said the prison did not have security cameras. Officials said the inmates, many of them heroin users, had been unnerved by the earthquakes. "There was panic here because of earthquake tremors," said Lanjar. The provincial chief minister said it was a mistake for prison authorities to have allowed the prisoners to leave their cells. He urged the inmates still at large to hand themselves in, or face a serious charge for breaking out. "Petty crime charges will become a big case like terrorism," Shah said.
United News of India
3 days ago
- General
- United News of India
200 inmates escape from Pak Malir district jail in Karachi, 78 recaptured
Karachi, June 3 (UNI) Over 200 Pakistani inmates broke out of Karachi's Malir District Jail, following a temporary emergency evacuation by prison authorities due to low intensity tremors in the area. However, the evacuation turned into a massive jailbreak, as the confusion and hurriedness gave many inmates the perfect opportunity to run. According to Sindh IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon, over 2,000 prisoners were brought from their barracks for counting during the evacuation process. But the safety measure soon turned into full-fledged chaos, as hundreds started running. The Frontier Corps personnel stationed at the prison resorted to massive aerial firing to push them back but 213 of them escaped. So far, only 78 of the escapees has been caught, with one killed by the Frontier Corps during the jailbreak amid further deterioration of the situation, according to Duniya News. Over three FC personnel were also badly injured. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, following the massive prison break, said that tough action would be taken against those who made the decision to let the prisoners gather in the open ground. He told reporters that 'I do not want to say anything judgmental, but my initial thought is that it was wrong to let them out (into the ground).' SSP Malir said 500 to 600 prisoners tried to escape from the Malir District Jail. Over 100 prisoners escaped, and 73 of them were recaptured with a search ongoing for the other escapees. According to Jail Superintendent Arshad Shah, over 6,000 people were present in the prison barracks during the tremors. Detailing the incident, he said 'During the evacuation, some inmates escaped by breaking the locks and began climbing over the walls. This took place near Mari Gate, where over 1,000 inmates had gathered. 'As the staff tried to control the situation, one inmate snatched a rifle from the officer and opened fire. This injured Frontier Corps personnel and one police officer. Jail staff were also attacked with stones and sticks by inmates.' Sindh Prison Minister Ali Hassan took notice of the escape of prisoners from Malir Jail and has sought a report from the IG Prison and DIG Prison. He directed that the area be cordoned off. The Prison Minister said that the escaped prisoner should be caught at all costs and the officers who were negligent in the incident would be identified and held accountable. Sindh's Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar visited the District Malir Jail and took details of the incident from the jail authorities. He ordered the SSP Malir to immediately contact the Malir Jail Police and search for the escaped prisoners. He also issued instructions to arrest the escaped prisoners through highly coordinated and effective measures at the district level. The minister said that all measures should be made successful through blockade, reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence and that all necessary measures should be taken. According to police, the entire city has been put on high alert, with several barricades established, a large number checkpoints established, increase in patrol, a regular checking of all passing cars throughout Karachi. UNI ANV PRS
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Hundreds of prisoners escape after earthquake in Pakistan
More than 200 prisoners have escaped jail in Pakistan after they overpowered prison guards following a series of earthquakes, police said. The jailbreak began early Tuesday, after hundreds of prisoners were allowed to leave their cells because of the tremors, Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister said. Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff and forced open the main gate after a shootout, evading paramilitary soldiers. At least one prisoner was killed and three guards wounded, said Provincial Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Memon. "I heard the firing for quite some time and then some time later prisoners made their way out running in all directions," Bukhsh, a private security guard at a residential complex opposite the jail, told Reuters. He added that some of the prisoners entered the apartment complex before being taken away by police. The jailbreak was one of the largest in Pakistan history, Lanjar said. The District Malir prison, which houses 6,000 inmates, is in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, the country's biggest city. Prisoners ran through the area throughout the night, some of them barefoot, with police giving chase, local TV footage showed. About 80 of those who escaped had been caught, said Murad Ali Shah, the provincial chief minister. The jail's superintendent, Arshad Shah, told reporters that there were 28 prison guards on duty at night, and that "only a few of such a large number of prisoners escaped". He said the prison did not have security cameras. Officials said the inmates, many of them heroin users, had been unnerved by the earthquakes. "There was panic here because of earthquake tremors," said Lanjar. The provincial chief minister said it was a mistake for prison authorities to have allowed the prisoners to leave their cells. He urged the inmates still at large to hand themselves in, or face a serious charge for breaking out. "Petty crime charges will become a big case like terrorism," Shah said. Reuters
