Kinshasa mass jailbreak: Atleast 129 dead, several injured in attempted escape from Makala prison

129 inmates dead at Makala prison during mass jailbreak (Image: X)

At least 129 people died during an attempted jailbreak in Congo's main prison in the capital, authorities said on Tuesday, most of them killed in a stampede.

A provisional assessment showed that 24 inmates were shot dead by “warning” gunshots as they tried to escape from the overcrowded Makala prison in Kinshasa early Monday, Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani said on the social platform X.

Le lundi 2 septembre 2024, une tentative d'vasion la prison centrale de Makala a caus des pertes en vie humaines et d'importants dgts matriels.Sur instruction de la Haute Hirarchie, j'ai convoqu une runion de crise avec les responsables des services de dfense et de pic.twitter.com/p9k93u8hyJ

Jacquemain SHABANI L (@shabani_lukoo) September 2, 2024

Makala prison, Congo's main penitentiary with a capacity for 1,500 people, holds over 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report. The facility has recorded previous jailbreaks, including in 2017 when an attack by a religious sect freed dozens.

Gunfire inside the prison started around midnight on Sunday into Monday morning, residents said. A senior government official earlier said only two deaths were confirmed during the incident, a figure disputed by rights activists.