Over 100 inmates escaped from a prison in Karachi overnight after being temporarily moved from their cells due to mild earthquake tremors. Officials reported Tuesday that one prisoner was killed and three security personnel were injured in a shootout following the escape.

Kashif Abbasi, a senior police officer, said that 216 prisoners fled from Malir prison in Sindh’s provincial capital before dawn. Authorities have since recaptured 78 of them. None of the escapees were militants or facing terror-related charges, he added.

The escape occurred after prisoners were evacuated from their cells as a safety measure during the tremors. While still outside, a group of inmates overpowered guards, took their weapons, opened fire, and escaped, said Ziaul Hassan, Sindh’s home minister.

Malir prison superintendent Arshad Shah said the fugitives ran toward nearby residential neighborhoods. Residents said police later used mosque loudspeakers to inform the community about the jailbreak and ask for help locating the escapees.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah urged the prisoners to turn themselves in, noting they had only committed minor offenses so far but could face terrorism charges for fleeing. He warned that if caught by police, their situation could worsen legally.

Although escapes during prisoner transport have occurred, large-scale jailbreaks are rare in Pakistan. Security around prisons has been tightened since a 2013 Pakistani Taliban attack on a prison in Dera Ismail Khan that freed over 200 inmates.

The National Seismic Monitoring Center reported that Karachi experienced multiple light earthquakes in the last 24 hours, with magnitudes between 2.6 and 3.4.