An attempted breakout from Makala Prison, a high-security facility in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa, has resulted in the deaths of 129 people, according to authorities.
Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani revealed that 24 inmates died from bullet wounds after security forces fired warning shots early Monday morning. The majority of the deaths occurred due to suffocation, caused by a crush as prisoners tried to escape.
Despite initial government reports on Monday stating that only two people had died, the full scale of the tragedy emerged later in the day, drawing widespread concern and calls for clarity.
This is not the first such incident at Makala Prison; seven years ago, over 4,000 inmates managed to escape from the facility, which is the largest in the country.
Local residents described hearing gunfire during the attempted breakout. “There were gunshots from 01:00 or 02:00 in the morning, and until around 05:00,” Daddi Soso, a nearby resident, told the AFP news agency. “There were deaths, and there are people who fled,” he added, noting that security forces were seen removing bodies from the site.
Graphic videos circulated on social media on Monday, showing lifeless bodies on the prison floor and inmates screaming for help amid a crush. While these videos have not been independently verified by the BBC, they have sparked outrage and calls for accountability.
Around 24 hours after the incident, Minister Shabani posted a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, acknowledging the severity of the situation and confirming the death toll. He also reported that nearly 60 people were severely injured and had been taken to the hospital.
“This is also an opportunity to commend all the security services, the national police, and the army, who responded quickly and were able to contain the situation, preventing the escape,” Shabani stated. He noted, however, that the prison had suffered significant damage, including the destruction of the administration and registry offices due to a fire. "These are urgent situations that we are currently addressing," he added.
Human rights groups have called for an international investigation into the incident, questioning the circumstances that led to such a high death toll.
Makala Prison, which dates back to the 1950s, was built to house 1,500 inmates but currently holds more than 14,000, according to AFP. The overcrowded conditions have long been criticized by human rights organizations, and this latest incident has renewed calls for reform of the country's penal system.
Post a Comment