Fatal attempt at Makala prison leaves 129 dead, Congo officials say

As reported by the Congolese government, 129 people died as a result of an escape attempt from the country's largest prison in Kinshasa. The escape attempt took place around 8:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday. Witnesses told Reuters that they heard gunshots as well as the sounds of prisoners outside.

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported that at least 129 people died on Monday night during an escape attempt from Makala Central Prison in the capital, Kinshasa, adding that the situation is now under control.

In a statement released on Tuesday on the X platform, Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo reported that a fire had also broken out in the prison's administrative building, food warehouses, and hospital. He added that about 59 people were injured.

The mass escape attempt at Makala Central Prison resulted in fatalities and extensive material damage, he said in a video statement.

Earlier, a prison official said that no prisoner succeeded in escaping, adding that those who tried to escape were killed.

The escape attempt took place around 8:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday (September 2nd). Witnesses told Reuters that they heard heavy gunfire and the sounds of prisoners outside.

It is worth noting that this is another escape attempt from this prison. In 2017, more than 4,000 prisoners escaped after a night attack by armed men on the facility.

According to official data, Makala Prison currently houses between 14,000 to 15,000 prisoners. Authorities have tried to reduce overcrowding, and in recent months, dozens of prisoners have been released.

Constant Mutamba from the Congolese government said on platform X that an investigation is ongoing to identify and severely punish the organizers of these acts of sabotage.