More than a hundred detainees escaped Saturday from the dilapidated and overcrowded prison of Matadi, in the west of the DRC, in a spectacular operation which left one dead and one seriously injured among the police .
Two armed men showed up at the main entrance to the prison, neutralized the guards and opened the "
detention door
", allowing "a
large number
" of prisoners to escape, Apolonia Londo told media. , deputy director of the establishment.
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Commissioner Jean-Pierre Nzolani, for his part, told how police officers from the camp in which the prison is located saw detainees flee through an open breach in a wall.
"
They fired in the air but more than 300 people were approaching them, tore their weapons from them and killed a policeman on the spot
."
Another officer was seriously injured by gunshot wounds.
"
Complicity, plan prepared for a long time?"
We are trying to understand,
”added the commissioner.
The management of the prison was also trying to determine the exact number of escapees.
The prisoners numbered 737 on Saturday morning, Ms. Longo said.
An inventory is in progress.
The central prison of Matadi, capital of the Kongo central province, was built in 1939 and originally designed to accommodate 150 inmates.
