Deadly Stampede In Congo Prison During Jailbreak Attempt

Authorities in Congo say 129 people were killed at Makala Central Prison, the country's main prison, most of them in a stampede, during a failed attempt by inmates to escape from the overcrowded penit

Authorities in Congo have reported a tragic incident at the Makala prison in the capital city of Kinshasa. At least 129 individuals lost their lives during an attempted jailbreak, with the majority of the casualties resulting from a stampede.

The Interior Minister of Congo, Jacquemin Shabani, revealed that a preliminary assessment indicated that 24 inmates were shot dead by warning gunshots as they tried to escape from the severely overcrowded Makala prison. This facility, designed to accommodate 1,500 individuals, currently houses over 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, according to Amnesty International's recent country report.

Makala prison has a history of security breaches, with previous jailbreaks occurring in the past. In 2017, a religious sect orchestrated an attack that led to the escape of dozens of prisoners.

Majority of casualties were due to a stampede during the incident.

129 individuals died in a jailbreak attempt at Makala prison in Kinshasa.

Preliminary assessment revealed 24 inmates were shot dead during the escape attempt.

Residents reported that gunfire erupted within the prison premises around midnight on Sunday, continuing into the early hours of Monday morning. Initially, a senior government official claimed that only two deaths had been confirmed during the incident, a figure that has been disputed by human rights activists.

This tragic event underscores the challenges faced by the Congolese prison system, particularly in terms of overcrowding and security vulnerabilities. The loss of lives in this attempted jailbreak serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for reforms and improvements within the country's penal institutions.