There was a mass prisoner escape after they were temporarily evacuated from their cells during mild earthquake tremors overnight and a group suddenly attacked the guards in Karachi, Pakistan, officials said.

Kashif Abbasi, a senior police official, said 216 inmates fled the Malir prison in the capital of Sindh province before dawn on Tuesday. Of those, 78 had been recaptured.

One prisoner was killed and three security officials were wounded in an ensuing shootout, Abbasi said, adding that police are conducting raids to capture the remaining escapees.

Ziaul Hassan, the home minister of Sindh province, said the inmates were still outside of their cells during the evacuation when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire, and fled.

The superintendent of Malir prison, Arshad Shah, said the inmates fled toward a nearby residential area.

According to residents, police later used mosque loudspeakers to alert them to the jailbreak and seek help in arresting the escapees.

This is a developing article. Updates to follow.

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.