At least 129 people died in a Congo prison stampede during an attempted jailbreak at Kinshasa’s Makala prison. Most fatalities occurred as inmates tried to escape.
Bollywood Fever: At least 129 people have died following an attempted jailbreak at Congo’s main prison in the capital, Kinshasa, according to authorities on Tuesday.
The majority of the fatalities resulted from a stampede inside the overcrowded Makala prison.
A provisional report revealed that 24 inmates were shot dead by “warning” gunfire as they attempted to flee the prison early Monday, stated Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani on the social platform X.
The Makala prison, designed to hold 1,500 inmates, currently houses over 12,000, with most of the prisoners still awaiting trial, according to Amnesty International’s latest report on the country.
The prison has a history of jailbreaks, including a notable incident in 2017 when an attack by a religious sect led to the escape of dozens of inmates.
Gunfire erupted inside the facility around midnight on Sunday and continued into Monday morning, alarming nearby residents.
Initially, a senior government official reported only two confirmed deaths, a figure that was challenged by human rights activists.
However, the updated assessment has tragically confirmed the loss of 129 lives during the chaotic escape attempt.
This incident underscores the dire conditions and overcrowding in Congo’s prison system, raising serious concerns about the management and safety of inmates in the country.
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