18 inmates escape from a prison in Pakistan-administered Kashmir after overpowering a guard

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Eighteen inmates, including some on death row, have escaped from a prison in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir after overpowering a guard with a pistol, Pakistani officials said Monday.

Local police chief Riaz Mughal said one of the prisoners was shot dead during the escape from Rawalakot prison the previous day.

Mughal said a large-scale search has been launched to trace and arrest all the inmates who escaped from the prison. Authorities have launched an investigation to find out what led to the jail break. The jail superintendent and some other officials have already been removed from their posts while some officials have been detained for questioning, he said.

Mughal said six of the prisoners were on death row while three others were serving life sentences. Such prison breaks are rare in Pakistan, he said.

According to official reports, one of the inmates had a gun with which he overpowered a guard and stole the keys to the prison cells.

The disputed Himalayan region is divided between India and Pakistan, both of which possess nuclear weapons. The South Asian neighbors have fought three wars since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

The Associated Press