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Gang attack triggers massive prison break in Haiti

Haiti declared a state of emergency and curfew after gang attack on main prison led to escape of thousands of inmates.

AFP

Powerful, well-armed gangs run rampant and control much of the capital Port-au-Prince. / Photo: AFP

At least a dozen people died as gang members attacked the main prison in Haiti's capital, triggering a breakout by several thousand inmates, an AFP reporter and an NGO said.

"We counted many prisoners' bodies," said Pierre Esperance of the National Network for Defense of Human Rights on Sunday, adding that only around 100 of the National Penitentiary's estimated 3,800 inmates were still inside the facility after the gang assault overnight Saturday.

An AFP reporter who visited the main prison on Sunday observed around a dozen bodies outside it. Some had wounds from bullets or other projectiles.

The reporter entered the prison itself -- the gate was open -- and saw there was "hardly anyone" left inside.

In a statement, the Haitian government said police tried to repel the gang attack against that prison and at another facility called Croix des Bouquets.

It said these attacks left "several wounded" among the prison staff and inmates.

Esperance said it was not immediately clear how many inmates escaped from the second prison.

Chaos reigns in Haiti as gangs threaten stability, PM Henry's safety

State of emergency

Haiti's government declared on Sunday a state of emergency and a nighttime curfew after at least a dozen people died when gang members attacked the capital city's main prison, allowing several thousand inmates to escape.

The government said in a statement the state of emergency and 6:00 pm to 5:00 am curfew would be effective from Sunday to Wednesday, March 6. Both measures would be subject to renewal.

Haiti has been wracked for decades by grinding poverty, violence, political instability and recurring natural disasters but the country plunged further into chaos with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021.

Powerful, well-armed gangs run rampant and control much of the capital Port-au-Prince.

Gangs aiming to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henry have wreaked havoc in Port-au-Prince since Thursday.

Henry was in Kenya on Friday trying to muster support for an international police support mission, which Nairobi has agreed to lead.