The death toll in Mozambique due to ongoing protests against a disputed presidential election and a prison break has climbed to 248, according to a monitoring group.
Plataforma Decide, an election monitoring group in the southeast African country, reported that 248 people had lost their lives in the past 65 days since protests began after the October 9 presidential poll.
At least 33 people were killed on Wednesday when hundreds of inmates broke through the Maputo Central Prison in Matola, about 15 kilometers from the capital, Maputo.
Police chief Bernardino Rafael stated that at least 1,534 prisoners had escaped the correctional facility.
Among the escapees were 29 “highly dangerous” terrorists, raising serious concerns.
A seemingly subversive protest outside the prison sparked unrest inside the jail, leading to the collapse of a wall and enabling the escape, despite a confrontation with prison guards, according to police.
The noisy protesters demanded the release of a number of prisoners, said Rafael.
The prison break occurred amid fresh protests following the Constitutional Council’s confirmation this week that Daniel Chapo of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) had won the election.
Mozambique has seen violent protests since late October, when the electoral authority declared 47-year-old Chapo the winner with 71% of the vote, defeating main opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who is in exile and received 20%.
