Prisoners escape from Haitian prison

According to official reports, inmates escaped from a Haitian prison in the central coastal town of Saint-Marc on Friday.

The Miami-Herald reported that businesses in the city, north of the capital Port-au-Prince, had been asking for police reinforcements for several days due to a growing problem of gang violence.

The New ListThe local newspaper reported that prison officials were on strike at the time of the prison break, demanding better working conditions. The newspaper report said government commissioner Vension Francois feared prison guards might have mutinied, but no details were given.

Police in Saint-Marc informed the public about the outbreak. The announcement also asked the public to report any suspicious persons who might be escaped prisoners to the police.

Unconfirmed videos of the prison break posted on social media showed people climbing over walls amid fire, smoke and a loud explosion.

It was not immediately clear how many prisoners escaped, nor was it known whether the breakout was the result of a gang attack, a security breach or some other reason, officials said.

Haiti is plagued by gang violence in its cities, despite the deployment of at least 400 Kenyan police officers to lead a multinational security mission to combat the gangs. The armed gangs are not deterred by Kenyans from their lawlessness and continue to unrest.

Human rights activist Marie Yolene Gilles, who closely monitors Haiti’s prisoners, told the Herald that she was not surprised by the outbreak.

“When one prison falls, others fall too; it's like a domino effect,” she said. In July, the prison housed about 500 inmates, she said.

Friday's prison break was the third in recent months. In March, gangs raided two of the country's largest prisons – the National Prison and the Croix-des-Bouquets. More than 4,000 prisoners escaped in the raids, including inmates accused of the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.

Some information for this report comes from Associated Press and Reuters.