Tragic Jailbreak in Congo: At Least 129 Dead in Overcrowded Prison

At least 129 individuals lost their lives during an attempted jailbreak at Kinshasa’s overcrowded Makala prison in Congo. Most fatalities occurred due to a stampede, while 24 inmates were shot by warning gunfire. This underscores the facility's severe overcrowding and history of similar incidents, as detailed by Amnesty International.

At least 129 individuals tragically lost their lives during an attempted jailbreak at Makala prison in Kinshasa, Congo, according to authorities on Tuesday. Most victims were killed in a stampede.

Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani revealed on social platform X that the provisional assessment included 24 inmates who were shot dead by "warning" gunshots as they sought to escape from the prison early Monday. The Makala facility is severely overcrowded, holding over 12,000 inmates against a capacity of 1,500, Amnesty International reported.

The prison, Congo's main penitentiary, has previously recorded jailbreaks, notably in 2017, when a religious sect attacked and freed dozens. Residents noted that gunfire commenced around midnight on Sunday and continued into Monday morning. While a senior official initially confirmed only two fatalities, rights activists refute that figure, citing far higher casualties.

(With inputs from agencies.)