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- Armed groups have stormed the national prison in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.
- A majority of the 3,600 prisoners are on the run.
- The government has declared a three-day state of emergency.
Gang violence continues to escalate in the Caribbean state of Haiti. Armed groups stormed the national prison in the capital Port-au-Prince, local media reported. The AFP news agency reports at least 10 deaths.
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that a large proportion of the approximately 3,600 prisoners managed to escape. In addition to several gang leaders, suspects in connection with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise three years ago were apparently held in the overcrowded prison.
Telecommunications facilities were also damaged in the wake of the violence, so the country was temporarily cut off from international telephone traffic on Sunday.
The security situation in Haiti has deteriorated dramatically since the president’s assassination. According to UN estimates, brutal gangs control around 80 percent of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and are increasingly expanding their area of influence to other parts of the country.
Legend:
A majority of the 3,600 prisoners from the national prison are on the run.
REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol
SRF 4 News, March 4, 2024, 1:00 a.m.; agencies; saga
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