At least 129 people were killed during an attempted mass escape from the central Makala prison in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, government officials reported Tuesday.
Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo, in a statement posted on social media platform X, said the situation was now under control. The attempted breakout occurred late Sunday night, resulting in significant casualties and damage to the facility.
“The mass escape attempt at Makala central prison resulted in the loss of life and significant material damage,” Lukoo said in a video statement. He added that a fire had broken out in the prison’s administrative building, food depots, and hospital. Additionally, 59 people were reported wounded in the incident.
The escape attempt began around 2:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) on Sunday. Prisoners told Reuters they heard heavy gunfire and sounds of other inmates outside their cells during the incident.
A prison official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that no prisoners had successfully escaped. Those who attempted to flee were reportedly killed, although this claim has not been independently verified.
The government has launched an investigation into the incident, which marks one of the deadliest prison events in recent Congolese history.
Makala prison, the largest in Kinshasa, has a history of overcrowding and poor conditions. This incident raises concerns about prison security and inmate treatment in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Human rights organizations have long criticized the state of prisons in DR Congo, calling for reforms to address overcrowding, inadequate healthcare, and poor sanitation.
The government has not yet provided details on the identities of those killed or the circumstances that led to such a high death toll during the escape attempt.
