An attempted escape by prisoners from a high-security prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, has left 129 people dead, authorities said.

Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo said 24 prisoners died from gunshot wounds after warning shots were fired early Monday morning. Most of the rest died from asphyxiation after being crushed during the escape from Makala prison.

Despite reports of mass deaths that emerged on Monday, the government initially said only two people had died.

Seven years ago, at least 4,000 inmates escaped from the same prison – the largest in the country.

On Monday, residents near the prison reported hearing shots but were unable to reach the scene because they blocked access to the area.

“The gunshots were heard from 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. until around 5:00 a.m.,” Daddi Soso, who lives near the prison, told AFP news agency.

“There were fatalities and some escaped,” he said, adding that security forces were taking away the bodies.

About 24 hours after the escape attempt, Mr Lukoo posted a video on Twitter outlining the scale of the incident and the death toll.

“It is also an opportunity to praise all the security services, the national police and the military, who reacted quickly and were able to bring the situation under control, preventing the escape,” he said.

“It should be noted that there was indeed damage, including loss of life, bodily injury and especially material damage at the Central Prison.

“Unfortunately, the administration and registry offices have gone up in flames. These are urgent situations that we are currently dealing with.”

Footage from inside the prison shows a large hole in a brick wall, charred buildings, firefighters working at the scene and an office with papers strewn across the floor.

Makala prison has a capacity of 1,500 prisoners but in reality more than 14,000 prisoners have been held there, AFP reports.

You may also be interested in:

Go to BBC Africa for more news from Africa.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfricaon Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

BBC Africa Podcasts