Taking advantage of the third day of unrest, which was triggered by the contentious certification of the long-ruling Frelimo party as the winner of recent elections, at least 1,500 inmates broke out of a Maputo jail on Wednesday.

In a press conference, National Police Chief Bernardino Rafael stated that 1,534 inmates had broken out of the high-security facility, which is roughly 15 kilometers from the capital.

Rafael went on to say that conflicts with jail personnel resulted in the deaths of 33 and the injuries of 15 of those trying to flee.

He claims that approximately 150 fugitives were apprehended as a result of the army-backed search operation.

Approximately thirty inmates were connected to armed gangs responsible for disturbances and assaults in the northern province of  Cabo Delgado for the past seven years.

“This situation is of particular concern to us,” Rafael stated.

The top court in the Portuguese-speaking African nation certified Monday that Frelimo, who has held the office since 1975, was the victor of the October 9 presidential election, which had already set off weeks of unrest.

About five points less than the first results announced by the nation’s electoral body, Frelimo received 65.17 percent of the vote.