By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
An attempted jailbreak at Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, resulted in at least 129 deaths, primarily due to a stampede, according to authorities.
Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani confirmed that 24 inmates were shot dead during “warning” gunfire as they tried to escape the overcrowded prison, which houses over 12,000 inmates despite a capacity for just 1,500.
Shabani also reported that “59 injured people [were] taken into care by the government, as well as some cases of women raped,” adding that order has since been restored after part of the prison was set on fire. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba condemned the incident as a “premeditated act of sabotage” and warned that those responsible “will receive a stern response.”
Source: Africanews
