Hundreds of inmates fled Haiti's main prison after armed gangs stormed the facility in an overnight explosion of violence that engulfed much of the capital. At least five people were dead.
The jailbreak on Sunday marked a new low in Haiti's downward spiral of violence and came as gangs step up coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince, while embattled Prime Minister Ariel Henry is abroad trying to salvage support for a United Nations-backed security force to stabilise the country.
Three bodies with gunshot wounds lay 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.
READ MORE: Malaysian government indicates potential new search for MH370
In another neighbourhood, the bloodied corpses of two men with their hands tied behind the backs laid face down as residents walked past roadblocks set up with burning tires.
Authorities had yet to provide an account of what happened. But Arnel Remy, a human rights lawyer whose non-profit group works inside the prison, said on X, formerly Twitter, that fewer than 100 of the nearly 4000 inmates remained behind bars.
Those choosing to stay included 18 former Colombian soldiers accused of working as mercenaries in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse. On Saturday night, several of the Colombians shared a video pleading for their lives.
"Please, please help us," one of the men, Francisco Uribe, said in the message widely shared on social media.
"They are massacring people indiscriminately inside the cells."
READ MORE: Qantas plane clips wing on stationary aircraft at Perth Airport
On Sunday, Uribe told The Associated Press "I didn't flee because I'm innocent."
The violence Saturday night appeared to be widespread, with several neighbourhoods reporting gunfire.
There were reports of a jailbreak at a second Port-au-Prince prison containing around 1400 inmates. Armed gangs also occupied and vandalised the nation's top football stadium, taking one employee hostage for hours, the nation's football federation said in a statement.
Internet service for many residents was down as Haiti's top mobile network said a fibre optic cable connection was slashed during the rampage.
READ MORE: Hazardous surf warning for surfers, fishers and boat crews in New South Wales
Haiti's National Police has roughly 9000 officers to provide security for more than 11 million people, according to the United Nations. They are routinely overwhelmed and outgunned by gangs, which are estimated to control up to 80 per cent of Port-au-Prince.
Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation, has claimed responsibility for the surge in attacks. He said the goal was to capture Haiti's police chief and government ministers.
