Over 200 Inmates Escape Karachi Prison After Earthquake

More than 200 inmates escaped from a prison in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, after a powerful earthquake triggered panic and chaos inside the facility early Tuesday morning, according to police.

The incident occurred at Malir Jail where tremors struck around midnight, prompting widespread fear among the prison’s more than 5,000 inmates—more than double its official capacity of 2,200.

Prison officials said inmates began shouting and banging on their cell doors, terrified the structure would collapse. As panic spread, prisoners reportedly broke cell locks, shattered windows, and eventually overwhelmed parts of the prison’s infrastructure. Some managed to storm the main gate in the frenzy.

Police responded to the unrest by firing warning shots into the air. While many inmates retreated to their cells, a total of 216 managed to flee during the chaos, authorities said.

So far, 80 of the escaped prisoners have been recaptured. At least one inmate was killed during the escape, and two prison officers sustained injuries. Authorities have launched a citywide manhunt for the remaining fugitives, including door-to-door operations in areas connected to the escaped individuals.

“This is not a security lapse—it’s all due to a natural disaster,” the prison’s superintendent told BBC. He added that security teams had remained on high alert and worked throughout the night to contain the situation.

Families of inmates, frustrated by the suspension of visitations, staged protests outside the prison gates Tuesday. Meanwhile, Sindh’s Minister for Prisons, Ali Hassan Zardari, has ordered a full investigation into the incident and warned that any prison staff found negligent will be held accountable.