Haiti: 8 dead in clashes in a prison, including the director

A confused and violent episode that took place yesterday in Haiti in the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, on the outskirts of Port au Prince, resulted in a provisional toll of eight dead, seven inmates and the director of the detention center, Paul Hector Joseph.

    According to the news portal InfoHaiti, it is not clear which episode was at the origin of the incident, whether a mutiny or an armed attack from the outside, but for the moment it is certain that it has allowed the escape of numerous inmates.

    To try to restore order, the Haitian police made extensive use of tear gas, erecting barricades on the access roads to the prison, to try to block the escape of other detainees.

    Haitian media reported that gunshots were heard outside and inside the detention center for many hours, and apparently the seven inmates killed were among those who managed to get out.

    Finally, the spokesman for the national police, Garry Desrosiers, confirmed that Arnel Joseph, a very dangerous former boss of the 'Village de Dieu' gang, near Port au Prince, is also among the fugitives.