At least 11 inmates die of cholera in DRC prison amid outbreak

A cholera outbreak in a prison in western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has killed 11 inmates and infected dozens, the justice ministry said on Monday.

The cholera outbreak was confirmed on March 27 at the prison in the town of Mbanza-Ngungu in Kongo Central province, around 150 kilometres from the capital Kinshasa, Justice Minister Guillaume Ngefa said in a statement.

"To date, 11 inmates have unfortunately succumbed to the illness, while 74 cases of infection have been recorded among a prison population of around 800 inmates," he said.

Medical teams have been sent to the prison to treat the sick and carry out preventive measures, including vaccinations, he added.

He announced sanitation and disinfection measures, the monitoring of the quality of the drinking water and the temporary suspension of new admissions to the prison.