Karachi, Pakistan – More than 200 inmates escaped from a prison in Pakistan’s largest city following an earthquake that struck in the early hours of Tuesday, police reported.

The incident occurred at Malir Jail in Karachi, Sindh’s second-largest prison, where thousands of inmates broke cell locks, doors and windows after tremors shook the facility.

Police said 216 inmates fled during the panic. As of Tuesday evening, 80 had been recaptured, while search operations continued for the remaining fugitives. One inmate was killed and two prison officers injured in the incident.

A prison superintendent said that prisoners began shouting from their cells and barracks around midnight, fearing the building would collapse. As panic spread, police responded by firing warning shots into the air. While many inmates returned to their cells, others stormed the prison’s main gate.

Authorities have since launched a manhunt, going door-to-door to locate and arrest those still at large.

Malir Jail is currently holding over 5,000 inmates—more than double its intended capacity of 2,200—raising renewed concerns over overcrowding in the prison system.