More than 400 prisoners have fled and 25 people have died in a prison explosion in Haiti, according to authorities, making it the largest and deadliest in the country in a decade. Among the killings were a prison director and a powerful gang leader.
The explosion at the Croix-des-Bouquets prison on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Thursday was an attempt to free the gang leader Arnel Joseph, who had been the fugitive. most wanted in Haiti until his arrest in 2019 on charges such as rape, kidnapping and murder.
Joseph, who was reportedly still wearing prison chains on his ankles, was traveling on a motorcycle through the Artibonite area in the town of L’Estere on Friday a day after his escape when he was seen at a checkpoint, he said. police spokesman Gary Desrosiers Associated Press. He said Joseph pulled out a gun and died in an exchange of gunfire with police.
Joseph ruled Village de Dieu, or Villa de Déu, a shantytown in Port-au-Prince, and other communities, including some in Artibonite, which is the largest department in Haiti.
Authorities have not yet provided many details about the outbreak, except to say that 60 inmates have been recovered and the investigation continues. Secretary of State Frantz Exantus said authorities have set up several commissions to investigate who organized the outbreak and why. Among the murders was the director of the prison, identified as Paul Joseph Hector.
Neighbors who refused to identify themselves because they feared for their lives said they had seen gunmen shoot at prison guards before inmates escaped from the Croix-des-Bouquets prison.
The prison is known for a 2014 outbreak in which more than 300 of the 899 inmates escaped. Some believed the attack was designed to free Clifford Brandt, the son of a prominent businessman, who had been jailed since 2012 for allegedly kidnapping the adult children of a rival businessman. Brandt was captured two days later near the border of the Dominican Republic.
After the 2014 outbreak, officials said they were taking steps to increase security in the prison, including installing security cameras and placing ankle monitors on the most dangerous prisoners. It was not immediately clear whether any of these measures were taken. At the time of Thursday’s outbreak, the prison had 1,542 inmates, nearly double its capacity.
Haiti’s largest prison explosion in recent history came after the devastating 2010 earthquake in which more than 4,200 inmates fled the famous Port-au-Prince National Penitentiary.
Haitian President Jovenel Moise tweeted on Friday condemning the latest jailbreak and asking people to stay calm. He added that the Haitian national police were “instructed to take” all measures “to control the situation.
Meanwhile, Helen La Lime, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Haiti, said in a statement that she was deeply concerned about the riot and the escape from prison.
“I encourage police to expedite investigations into the circumstances surrounding this incident, to redouble their efforts to relearn the fugitives and to strengthen security in prisons across the country,” he said.
“This break with the prison highlights the problem of prolonged pre-trial detention and the overcrowding of prisons, which remains a matter of concern that must be urgently addressed by the Haitian authorities.”