India, June 3 -- At least one prisoner died and more than 200 of them escaped from a Pakistani prison when they were shifted outside their cells after an earthquake hit Karachi city on Monday.

Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar told Arab News that the inmates in Malir prison started to panic when tremors were felt in the Pakistani city.

He said it became difficult for authorities to prevent the prisoners from escaping the jail after its outer gate was damaged due to an earthquake.

"The incident occurred when prisoners were temporarily moved out of their barracks due to safety concerns," Inspector-General Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon told Arab News.

"Taking advantage of the chaos, around 1,000 inmates gathered at the jail's main gate a...