A mass prison break occurred at Malir Jail in Karachi after two mild earthquakes—measuring 2.6 and 2.8 on the Richter scale—shook the northeastern part of the city. While the tremors were not severe, they caused enough disruption to alarm both inmates and staff, leading to an emergency evacuation.
According to Jail Superintendent Arshad Shah, the escape happened as authorities were moving prisoners from Circles 4 and 5 as a precaution. During the evacuation, over 600 inmates were temporarily out of their cells, and 216 took advantage of the confusion to flee.
Initial accounts indicated that the prisoners escaped through a compromised section of the jail’s outer wall. However, Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar later reported that between 700 and 1,000 inmates had gathered near the main gate during the evacuation. Amid the disorder, around 100 broke through the gate and escaped.
Officials suspect negligence by prison staff may have contributed to the breakout. A formal investigation committee has been established to examine the incident.
Inspector General of Sindh, Ghulam Nabi Memon, stated that many of the inmates were facing drug-related charges, and some had mental health issues, potentially heightening the unrest.
One inmate died in the chaos, and several others—including jail personnel and Frontier Corps officers—were injured. Some escapees have already been recaptured, including a prisoner named Siraj, who admitted he fled amid the panic. Search operations are ongoing to apprehend the remaining fugitives.
