GILGIT, Aug 1: Five under trial prisoners escaped after breaking the locks of Chilas District Jail late on Tuesday night, while a search operation to arrest them had been launched, district administration officials said.

`They broke the locks of the barrack and then climbed western wall of the jail to escape,` deputy commissioner Shahzeb Saeed told Dawn by phone. He said that there were seven inmates in the barrack, but two of them preferred to stay in jail. He said that one of the prisoners was facing murder charge, while four were under trail in robbery cases, which they had committed on Karakuram Highway.

He said that the incident took place at 1:30am, while the authorities came to know about that very late.

`The police have been searching for the prisoners, especially in Boto Gah and Thak valleys,` officials said, adding that dozens of houses were raided, but they could not be traced so far. They said the inspector general prisons visited the jail on Wednesday and suspended the duty staff besides ordering inquiry to fix responsibility.

FOREIGNER DIES: A Spanish tourist, who arrived here three days ago along with his wife, died of cardiac arrest, administration officials said.

They said that the deceased was in his thirties and had a good health, but did not survive a sudden cardiac arrest.

DC Shahzeb Saeed identified the tourist as Donzales Calvo Roberto, whose body was brought to the DHQ hospital by local volunteers. The body was later sent to Islamabad.-Correspondent