The death toll from an attempted escape from DR Congo's main prison on Monday, September 2, has risen to 129, local media reports said on Tuesday.

Officials had initially said two inmates were killed during a "premeditated sabotage" to escape from the Makala central prison in the capital Kinshasa.

In a televised statement, interior minister Shabani Lukoo said on Monday that the number of deaths was 129, adding that 59 had been injured.

The minister also said there were cases of rape.

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Videos purporting to be from inside the prison showed several bodies on the ground. Mbemba Kabuya, the deputy justice minister, told the local Top Congo FM radio that only two deaths were confirmed, a figure disputed by the opposition and human rights activists.

The gunfire from inside the prison started around midnight, residents said. By Monday morning, the road leading to the prison had been cordoned off by security forces.

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The Makala prison, which is DR Congo's main penitentiary with a capacity for 1,500 people, holds over 12,000 inmates most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report.

It has recorded previous jailbreaks, including in 2017 when an attack by a religious sect freed dozens of inmates.