There was an escape attempt at Makala prison in the central African country of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
An official reported that at least 129 people were killed and 59 injured during the incident in the capital Kinshasa.
Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo said in a statement:
“The provisional death toll is 129, 24 of them died from gunshots, other victims were pushed or suffocated after the warning. There are also 59 injured who are being cared for by the government.”
There were also fires in the prison's administrative building, food stores and a hospital, Minister Bihango added on social media.
The government announced that the situation is now under control and investigations are ongoing.
Earlier, a prison official said that no inmates had managed to escape and reported that those who tried to escape were killed.
