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Congo: Another horrific incident has happened in Congo, an African country famous for its mineral reserves. Hundreds of prisoners have died while trying to escape from a prison in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the poorest countries in the world.
Reporting on the incident, the government said that at least 129 people were killed while trying to escape from the central Makala prison in Kinshasa on Monday. Many human rights organizations are questioning the government over the death toll and are saying that the system is releasing low numbers, the death toll in this horrific incident could be higher.
'Not a single prisoner could escape'
Home Minister Shabani Luku said that out of the 129 deaths, 24 were killed in the firing while the rest died while trying to escape. Congo's Interior Minister said, 'Out of 129, 24 died in the firing while the rest of the prisoners died due to being pushed or suffocated in the incident.' The prison's administrative building, its food depot and a hospital were also burnt to ashes, injuring about 59 people. In a statement released through video, Shabani said, 'Many people lost their lives and there was a lot of damage while trying to escape from Makala Central Jail.' A prison official said that not a single prisoner was successful in escaping. Those who tried to escape from the jail were killed. A strict investigation has been conducted by the government in this matter.
According to reports, the incident took place at 2 am local time on Sunday night. A prisoner in the jail said in a statement that in the morning he heard heavy firing and also heard the voices of prisoners.
According to the report, Congo's main prison has a capacity of only 1,500 prisoners and it is filled with more than 12,000 prisoners. Most of these prisoners have cases pending in court. There have been reports of escapes from Congo and especially this Makala prison.
The poorest country in the world despite being rich in minerals
It is worth noting here that Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world. However, Congo has large amounts of minerals. Even after independence on 30 June 1960, the country has not been able to make much progress despite its natural resources. Since independence, Congo has been grappling with various types of internal conflicts.