About 1,685 “seriously ill” inmates have been released from one of the most notorious prisons in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The release, which is the latest move to tackle overcrowding, began at Makala Prison in the capital, Kinshasa.

Justice Minister, Constant Mutamba, said that those who needed medical attention would be treated while others would be sent home on buses provided by the government.

The government has pledged to speed up its plans to decongest the prisons, where conditions have been described as “true hell”.