129 Dead – Massive Violent Jail Break in Africa: Congo Jailbreak Attempt

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[A pretty violent jailbreak in the centre of Africa. Jan]

At least 129 people are dead and 59 others injured after an attempted escape from a prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital yesterday. Roughly two dozen people were shot by guards as they sought to break out, while the remainder of the dead were reportedly killed in a subsequent crowd surge and fire.

The Makala Central Prison in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital on the Congo River in Central Africa, was built in 1957 when the country was still under Belgian rule (read history). The capital’s sole prison facility is designed to hold 1,500 prisoners but houses nearly 12,000 inmates—70% of whom haven’t yet faced trial. Rights advocates have long condemned the facility as unsafe. Prisoners reportedly attempted to break out of their cells amid a power outage that had cut off fans and water access in 90 degree heat. Officials estimated roughly 500 inmates died last year from suffocation and disease in the facility.

Source: 1440