It is still unknown what led up to the attempt to break out of the Makala jail in the early hours of Monday in the capital city of Kinshasa, which houses ten times as many people than it is designed to.
Witnesses in the popular and residential neighborhood surrounding the prison reported hearing gunfire on Monday, AFP reported, starting at about two in the morning and lasting for several hours.
A tentative death toll of 129 individuals was given by Interior Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jacquemain Shabani, in a video message issued on Tuesday.
He mentioned “24 who were shot after warnings” among them.
He claimed that at least 59 more individuals had been hurt and were awaiting medical attention.
