Pakistani police say 18 prisoners, including one on death row, have escaped from a prison in the Himalayan region of disputed Kashmir after overpowering guards.
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani authorities said Monday that 18 inmates, including one on death row, overpowered guards with a pistol and escaped from a prison in the Himalayan region of Kashmir.
Local police chief Riaz Mughal said one prisoner had been shot dead in the escape from Rawalakot prison the previous day.
Mughal said a massive manhunt has been launched to track down and arrest all those who escaped from the prison and authorities have begun an investigation into what led to the escape. The prison warden and several other staff members have already been fired and several staff members have been arrested for questioning, he said.
Mughal said six of the prisoners were on death row and three were serving life sentences. Such escapes are rare in Pakistan, he said.
Authorities said one of the inmates had a handgun and used it to overpower the guard and steal the cell keys.
The disputed Himalayan region is divided between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, South Asian neighbors that have fought three wars since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
