An attempted prison break by inmates at a maximum security prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital Kinshasa has left 129 people dead, authorities say.
Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani said 24 prisoners died from gunshot wounds after a warning shot was fired early Monday morning. Most of the others died of suffocation after being crushed during the escape at Makala Prison.
Despite reports of mass casualties on Monday, the government initially said there were only two deaths.
Seven years ago, at least 4,000 inmates escaped from this prison – the largest in the country.
On Monday, residents living near the prison said they heard gunshots but attempts by journalists to reach the scene were blocked by police blocking access to the area.
“There was gunfire from 1:00 or 2:00 a.m., and until about 5:00 a.m.,” Daddi Soso, who lives near the prison, told AFP news agency.
“There are dead people and people running away,” he said, adding that security forces were taking away the bodies.
Visual videos shared from inside the prison on Monday, but not verified by the BBC, showed bodies lying on the floor as well as people screaming for help amid the crush.
Mr Shabani posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, about 24 hours after the escape attempt, acknowledging the severity of the incident and the death toll.
Nearly 60 others were seriously injured and taken to hospital, he added.
“This is also an opportunity to commend all security forces, the national police and the military who responded quickly and were able to control the situation and prevent escape,” he said.
“It should be noted that there has indeed been damage, including loss of life, injuries and especially material damage at the central prison.
“Unfortunately, the administrative and registration offices were burned down. These are urgent situations that we are currently dealing with.”
Human rights groups have called for an international investigation into what happened.
Footage of the aftermath of the escape attempt appears to show a large hole in a brick wall, charred buildings, firefighters working at the scene and an office with papers strewn across the floor.
Makala Prison, built in the 1950s, has a capacity of 1,500 inmates, but according to AFP news agency, there are more than 14,000 prisoners being held here.
In 2020, the BBC interviewed a prison official who described people dying there because of poor living conditions – including food shortages and poor sanitation.
At the time, it was estimated that only 6% of prisoners were actually serving their sentences – the rest were stuck in DR Congo’s legal system, where cases could drag on for years.
The Justice Minister has promised to step up efforts to reduce overcrowding in prisons across the country.
