Haiti jailbreak: thousands of inmates feared to have escaped after gangs storm main prison

Jailbreak comes amid outbreak of violence while PM is in Kenya trying to salvage UN-backed security force

Hundreds of inmates have fled Haiti’s main prison after armed gangs stormed the facility in an overnight explosion of deadly violence that engulfed much of the capital.

The jailbreak on Saturday night marked a new low in Haiti’s downward spiral of violence. It began on Thursday as gangs stepped up coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince while embattled prime minister Ariel Henry is abroad trying to salvage support for a UN-backed security force to stabilise the country.