DR Congo government says 129 killed in attempted prison break

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00:00The fire is still burning in the early hours of the morning, after a bloody night in Makala

00:04Central Prison.

00:05An escape attempt, the circumstances of which remain unclear, has caused the death of over

00:11100 people and left dozens injured.

00:15Residents near the prison, located in the heart of the city, criticised the police for

00:19their response.

00:20It was only the prison guards firing shots.

00:24The police arrived late.

00:26Before 5am there were no police, we could see people running away, prisoners escaping.

00:31We didn't understand a thing until we noticed they'd blocked the road, there was no access.

00:36The authorities claim to have regained control of the situation.

00:39At the cost of a bloody crackdown, nearly 30 people were shot dead, others died of suffocation

00:46and on top of that, women are reported to have been raped inside the prison.

00:52It should be noted that there were indeed damages including loss of life, injuries and

00:56material damage at the central prison.

00:58Unfortunately, the administration and registry offices caught fire.

01:01These are urgent situations that we are currently addressing.

01:07Built in 1957, Makala prison is supposed to hold 1,500 inmates.

01:13But in reality, it houses 10 times that number, in deplorable conditions.

01:18According to the Clinton Foundation, over 500 people died in detention there last year

01:23alone.

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