More than 100 inmates escaped from a prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo during heavy rains, the jail’s director, Mutanade Nyongoli, said on Tuesday.

A total of 119 inmates broke out of the jail in Kabinda town in central Congo’s Lomami province late on Monday, said Mr. Nyongoli.

He said five others, who had nearly completed their sentences chose to stay in their cells.

“A dozen of the escapees have already been caught by police,’’ Mr. Nyongoli said, adding that most of the prisoners had been in pre-trial detention.

Prison breaks are not uncommon in Congo, with about 900 prisoners escaping an institution in North Kivu province in June after gunmen stormed the building.

In a massive prison break in the capital Kinshasa in May, a religious sect attacked a jail and freed an estimated 4,000 inmates.

Rights groups have reported terrible conditions in Congo’s prisons, with overcrowding as well as prolonged pretrial detention among the problems. (dpa/NAN)