Prison break in Haiti leaves 12 dead, inmates starving

A prison break in the Haitian city of Saint-Marc left 12 inmates dead on Friday, Mayor Myriam Fievre said, the third such incident in Haiti in recent months amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis fueled by gang violence.

Prosecutor Venson Francois said the situation in the prison, which houses around 540 inmates, was under control on Friday afternoon, but the local population should remain vigilant and watch out for escapees.

“The situation is under control, but the consequences are catastrophic. All the policemen's dormitories have burned down. The archives have burned down. They have set fire to everything except their cells,” Francois said.

Photo: Reuters

Earlier that day, unconfirmed videos shared on social media showed people climbing over walls, smoke pouring out of walls surrounded by barbed wire, a loud explosion and fire.

Walter Montas, a local government official, said the incident arose from a spontaneous protest because the prisoners had no food and were subjected to appalling health conditions.

The National Police did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for further information on the incident in Saint-Marc, about 88 kilometres north of the capital.

According to UN data, there were more than 7,500 people in Haitian prisons at the end of June, compared to almost 12,000 before thousands of people escaped from the two largest prisons in March.

The prison break in March triggered a state of emergency and led to the resignation of former Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Henry had travelled abroad to secure Kenya's support for a security mission to combat the armed gangs, but was unable to return due to the fighting.

Of the 1,000 police officers promised by Kenya, only 400 have arrived so far.

Many cells are almost four times full, the United Nations said. Poor conditions and a lack of essential items have already led to the deaths of at least 109 prisoners this year.

The local newspaper “Le Nouvelliste” reported on a strike by prison officials to demand better treatment by the state.

Francois was quoted as saying that there was “great fear of a mutiny”, without giving further details.