Hours after over 200 inmates escaped from Malir District Jail on Monday night, a mother of one of the escapees handed her son over to the police.

 

“My son reached home at 3:00 am after escaping from jail. When I asked him whether he had been released, he told me that he was among several inmates who escaped due to the tremors,” said the mother, who later handed him back to the police.

 

“We didn’t have the fare to come to the jail, so we walked here on foot. It’s better to be released legally rather than to escape jail,” she said, speaking to media.

 

When asked about the case in which her son was arrested, she alleged that he had been in jail for the past six months on “false theft” allegations. “On the basis of my son’s picture with his friend, he was sentenced,” she added.

 

According to police officials, the jailbreak occurred when multiple earthquakes caused cracks in the barracks walls of the overcrowded prison, which reportedly houses between 3,500 and 4,000 inmates.

 

Around 80 prisoners have reportedly been recaptured, while more than 130 remain at large as security forces continue efforts to bring the fugitives back into custody.

 

Speaking to reporters earlier on Tuesday, Sindh’s Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar stated that none of the escaped prisoners were hardcore criminals, noting that most were involved in petty crimes.

 

Describing the incident as one of the most serious jailbreaks in recent years, the minister said the escape took place when between 700 and 1,000 inmates gathered near the main gate following the evacuation.

 

Meanwhile, rescue officials reported that three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel sustained injuries during the ensuing stampede and chaos, while one inmate died. The injured officers have been shifted to a private hospital for immediate treatment.

 

Speaking to the media, Siraj, one of the rearrested prisoners, said, “When the quake hit, everyone started breaking the gates. Many ran off. I was arrested in a weapons case and went into hiding after escaping.”