By Harold Isaac
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) -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 a protracted humanitarian crisis fueled by gang violence.
State Prosecutor Venson Francois said the situation on Friday afternoon was under control at the prison, which housed around 540 inmates, but the local population should remain vigilant and watch for escapees.
“The situation is under control but the results are catastrophic. All the cops’ dormitories have burnt down. The archives have burnt down. They’ve set everything on fire except their cells,” Francois said.
Earlier in the day, unverified videos shared on social media showed people climbing over walls and smoke streaming out of walls ringed with barbed wire, a loud explosion and fire.
Walter Montas, a local government official, said the incident had developed out of a spontaneous protest as prisoners were going without food and facing appalling health conditions.
The national police did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for more information on the incident in Saint-Marc, some 55 miles (88 km) north of the capital.
(Reporting by Harold Isaac and Sarah Morland; Writing by Brendan O’Boyle; Editing by Alistair Bell and Deepa Babington)
