KINSHASA, Congo (AP) 鈥� At least 129 people died during an in Congo鈥檚 main prison in the capital, authorities said Tuesday, most of them killed in a stampede.
A provisional assessment showed that 24 inmates were shot dead by 鈥渨arning鈥� gunshots as they tried to escape from the overcrowded Makala prison in Kinshasa early Monday, Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani said on the social platform X.
Makala prison, Congo鈥檚 main penitentiary with a capacity for 1,500 people, holds over 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report. The facility has recorded previous jailbreaks, when an attack by a religious sect freed dozens.
Gunfire inside the prison started around midnight on Sunday into Monday morning, residents said. A senior government official earlier said only two deaths were confirmed during the incident, a figure disputed by rights activists.
Jean-yves Kamale, The Associated Press
