Over 200 Inmates Escape Karachi Prison After Earthquake Sparks Panic

More than 200 inmates escaped from a prison in Karachi after a series of earthquake tremors prompted authorities to unlock cells and allow prisoners into the courtyard, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar, the provincial law minister, explained that panic spread quickly after the tremors, and prison staff struggled to control a crowd of nearly 1,000 inmates. “There was panic here because of earthquake tremors,” Lanjar told reporters, noting that the jailbreak began just before midnight on Monday and continued into the early hours of Tuesday.

As chaos unfolded, some prisoners reportedly overpowered guards, snatched weapons, and forced open the prison’s main gate, leading to a shootout. One inmate was killed, and three prison staff were injured in the exchange of gunfire, according to provincial police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon.

A Reuters journalist who visited the prison on Tuesday described scenes of damage, with shattered glass and broken electronic equipment. The facility’s family meeting area had been ransacked, and anxious relatives gathered outside seeking updates.

Footage from the night showed prisoners fleeing barefoot through the surrounding Malir district—an underdeveloped, industrial area of Karachi—while police chased and recaptured some of them. Dozens were loaded into police vans as the manhunt continued.

Memon stated that most of the escaped inmates were minor offenders, involved in crimes such as drug possession or addiction. However, authorities warned that anyone still on the run could now face much more serious charges for escaping.

Provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah admitted it was a mistake to let inmates out of their cells, despite the tremors. He confirmed that around 80 escapees had been recaptured so far and urged the remaining fugitives to surrender immediately.

“This is one of the largest jailbreaks in Pakistan’s history,” said Lanjar, as officials launched an investigation into how the breakout occurred and how it might have been prevented.