Attempted jailbreak at a Congo prison kills 129 people as chaos erupts with a stampede and gunshots

Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congolese authorities say that an attempted jailbreak in the country’s main prison has left 129 people dead, including some who were shot and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility. Activists alleged the death toll was higher, with one saying more than 200 were killed. Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani said Tuesday that initial findings found that 24 inmates were fatally shot by “warning” shots fired by guards as they tried to escape from the Makala Central Prison in the capital of Kinshasa early the previous day. It wasn’t known if all 129 fatalities were inmates. Also, it wasn’t immediately clear how the stampede happened as details of the jailbreak remained sparse.