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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.
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
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
Hundreds of inmates escape jail in Pakistan after earthquake panic
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. Advertisement 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 officers and paramilitary soldiers stand guard outside the district Malir prison. Photo: AP Police said the prisoners snatched guns from prison staff, leading to a shoot-out, and then forced open the main gate. Advertisement
