Over 200 inmates escape Karachi prison after earthquake damages walls
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Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah reported that some prisoners were armed, and one was killed during the escape after a wall collapsed, enabling a jailbreak.
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Police officers stand guard as members of the media film inside the premises of the district Malir prison from where more than 200 inmates escaped overnight, in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP)
More than 200 prisoners escaped from Malir jail in the southern port city of Karachi in Pakistan after an earthquake caused structural damage to the prison late Monday night, Sindh province Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah confirmed on Tuesday.
The jailbreak followed a series of low-intensity tremors that struck Karachi and surrounding areas since Sunday. According to Shah, aftershocks led prison authorities to move inmates out of their barracks for safety reasons, a decision he later described as a serious error.
"The prisoners were brought out of the barracks due to aftershocks, which was wrong," Shah told reporters in Karachi. During the confusion, some inmates reportedly exploited a weakened section of the prison wall to escape.
Prisoners seize rifles, casualty recorded
As the situation escalated, prisoners managed to seize rifles from prison security personnel. A confrontation ensued, during which one inmate was shot and killed. Several police officers sustained injuries in the gunfire, Shah said.
Authorities confirmed that around 216 inmates managed to flee the facility. As of Tuesday morning, 80 to 82 prisoners had been recaptured, and efforts to locate the remaining escapees were ongoing.
Calling the jailbreak “alarming”, Shah emphasized the scale of the crisis: “There are over 6,000 prisoners in Malir jail, and the jail administration brought them out of barracks, and some of them fled in a mob.”
He issued a warning to those still at large, threatening, "All prisoners who escaped should immediately surrender, otherwise they will face charges under anti-terrorism laws."
Security has been heightened across Karachi and the surrounding districts. Law enforcement agencies are conducting search operations to track down the escaped inmates and investigate how prison protocol failed during the emergency.
