In the Democratic Republic of Congo, an attempted prison escape at Makala prison in Kinshasa 
led to at least 129 deaths.
People living nearby heard gunfire early on Monday morning. The prison had other escapes, like 
in 2017, when over 4,000 prisoners ran away. This time, the prisoners set the prison’s office 
building on fire, and the situation became very dangerous. Some women prisoners were also hurt 
during the event.
At first, the government said only two people died, but later they claimed many more. They 
promised to find out who was responsible. The prison is very overcrowded. It currently holds
about 15,000 people, though it should hold only 1,500.