Haiti: Hundreds of inmates escape after armed gangs storm prison

Hundreds of inmates escaped from Haiti’s main prison on Sunday 3 March, when armed gangs stormed the facility.

The jailbreak marked a new low in Haiti’s downward spiral of violence and came as gangs assert greater control in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Embattled prime minister Ariel Henry, meanwhile, is abroad trying to salvage support for a United Nations-backed security force to stabilise the country.

Three dead bodies with gunshot wounds were seen at the prison entrance, which was wide open, with no guards in sight.

Plastic sandals, clothing and electric fans were strewn across normally overcrowded concrete patios.

Authorities had yet to provide an account of what happened.