Inmates fled through Malir Jail gate, not due to quake-damaged wall: Sindh Home Minister

Interior Minister Sindh, Zia Lanjar, claimed that the inmates of Malir Jail managed to escape through the prison gate, and that no walls were damaged as a result of the earthquake.

Late Monday night, Karachi police reported a major security breach after 100 prisoners escaped from Malir Jail. Initially, the police suggested that the inmates had broken through an outer wall, which they believed had been weakened by a series of low-scale earthquakes.

Following the incident, Interior Minister Zia Lanjar visited the jail and confirmed that the prisoners had actually escaped through the main gate, not through the wall.

“The inmates managed to escape through the gate; no wall was damaged by the tremors,” Lanjar told journalists outside Malir Jail.

“Initially, it was reported that the prisoners had escaped by breaching the wall, but it is too early to make any conclusions before the final report is released,” he added.

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Lanjar stated that at least 46 out of approximately 100 escaped inmates who had fled to nearby areas had been recaptured, and efforts were underway to re-arrest the remaining fugitives.

As part of the post-incident security measures, the jail premises were cordoned off with heavy contingents of security forces, including Rangers, the Special Security Unit, and police, who conducted raids to apprehend the escapees.

Some of the re-arrested inmates confirmed Lanjar's claim, stating that they had escaped through the gate but were unaware of who had opened it.

Two of the recaptured inmates, who had been in jail for 17 months on drug-peddling charges, admitted they took advantage of the open gate to flee.

Lanjar further stated that Malir Jail houses around 6,000 prisoners and acknowledged that negligence may have played a role in the incident. He added that it would take time to determine the exact cause of the escape.