At Least 129 People Died In Mass Escape Attempts From Prisons In Congo

Prison illustration. (Unsplash/Hédi Benyounes)

JAKARTA - More than 120 people have died in the attempt to mass escape from the largest prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the latest attack on a series of violent attacks on prisons in the central African country.

Prisoners tried to break into Makala Central Prison in the capital Kinshasa, at around 2 a.m. local time on Monday, said Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo Bihango.

"The interim death toll is 129 people, including 24 people who were shot after being warned. Others died of crammed, limping to death, several women were raped," said Home Affairs Minister Bihango, adding 59 people were receiving medical treatment., reported CNN September 3.

A series of graphic videos circulating on social media - not verified by CNN - showed dozens of bodies covered in blood on the ground.

Severe damage to several prison buildings is also seen in the video of the interior ministry. A large hole is seen on one outer wall, where the brick appears to have been removed, while the walls of the other building are black and burned.

Videos recorded in prison showed several rooms being torn apart with debris, burning office furniture, and scattered papers on the floor.

Several prison buildings including offices, registration offices, hospitals and food depots were destroyed by fire during attempts to break into prisons, said Minister of Home Affairs Bihango at a press conference.

Today, he held a crisis meeting with the country's defense and security services, after receiving instructions from the country's "senior hierarchy".

The government was relieved "with the calm that was restored," he said, adding investigations into the incident were ongoing.

More than 12,000 inmates were detained in Makala prison before Monday's attempted break-in, although the facility could only accommodate 1,500 people, according to a recent report by Amnesty International.

Prison breaching is common in Congo, with several attacks launched on correctional facilities in recent years.

More than 50 inmates, including religious sect leaders, managed to escape from Makala prison in 2017, following an invasion by the group.

In 2020, rebel groups linked to ISIS claimed responsibility for the prison break-in that released nearly 1,000 inmates from prison in Beni, northeast of Congo. At least 11 people, including security personnel, were killed in the attack.

Another prison breach was recorded the following year in Matadi, one of the country's oldest prisons, which resulted in 189 inmates fleeing.

More than 200 other prisoners escaped from the same prison in 2022, after they seized weapons from the facility's arsenal.