At least 129 people were killed as prisoners tried to break out of the Democratic Republic of Congo's largest prison, which is chronically overcrowded.

Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani announced that at least 129 people died during a jailbreak out of Makala prison in the capital, Kinshasa, in the early hours of Monday.

Among those killed were 24 people who were shot "after warnings", and many people died crushed or suffocated.

At least 59 people have been wounded or receiving care, Shabani said, and a number of women had been raped.

The authorities have given no indication as to how many inmates escaped or attempted to escape from Makala, DRC's largest prison, which is built to hold 1,500 people but houses over 15,000.

Few details have been released of the circumstances around the prison break.

Witnesses told the French news agency AFP that they had heard gunfire in the area around the prison at about 2am, which lasted for several hours.

Monday morning government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said that security services were at the scene and he called on residents to "not panic", and a few hours later said the situation was "under control".

Later Monday Justice Minister Constant Mutamba announced on X that inquiries were under way "to identify and severely punish the sponsors of these acts of sabotage"

Interior Minister Shabani said Tuesday that a fire had broken out in the jail's administrative building, its food depots and a hospital.

The prison was badly damaged during an attack by armed men in 2017, after which more than 4,000 prisoners escaped.

The circumstances around that prison break were never made clear, even after a commission of inquiry.

(with newswires)