Haiti gang raids jail and frees inmates Published duration 10 August 2014

An armed gang has attacked a prison in Haiti freeing an unconfirmed number of inmates.

The Croix-des-Bouquets jail held more than 800 prisoners before the Sunday morning attack.

The action caused panic in the area around the capital Port-au-Prince where the prison is located.

"We heard a lot of gunshots, and we saw people running in every direction," a nearby vendor told the AFP news agency.

Among those who escaped is Clifford Brandt, who comes from a wealthy Haitian family and faces charges of kidnapping.

"It was a spectacular escape. There was no battle. A hundred inmates fled the prison," a Haitian lawmaker told journalists.

Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe visited the area after the raid but made no comments.

The Croix-des-Bouquets prison was built in 2012 with reconstruction money donated by Canada. Haiti was devastated by an earthquake in 2010.