Story by Vivian Bangamu
An attempted prison break in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has left over 120 people dead.
The DRC government says an investigation is underway after the attempted jailbreak at the Makala Central Prison in the capital Kinshasa this Monday.
Reports say heavy gunfire was heard early Monday morning, as inmates tried to escape after a fire had broken out.
In a statement posted on X this Tuesday, DRC Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo said 24 people died as a result of gunfire, while around 59 people were injured.
According to Minister Lukoo, normalcy has been restored at the facility, with a security services meeting underway to investigate the incident.
Makala Central Prison is the largest in the DRC, with a holding capacity of 1 500 prisoners, but is currently overcrowded with over 14 000 detainees.
According to reports, the prison has recorded jailbreaks before, including in 2017 when over 4000 prisoners escaped from the facility after an attack by armed men at night.
