Devil Island - 'earthly hell' with 70,000 people came but only 2 people returned

The French colonial island has a unique name, a peaceful appearance but hidden behind is the obsession and terror of thousands of prisoners.

Devil Island is officially called Saint-Laurent du Maroni , located off French Guiana. In 1852, Emperor Napoleon III established an island to serve as a prisoner of prisoners . For nearly 100 years, about 70,000 prisoners have been banished here including murderers, rapists and political prisoners.

Hidden behind the serenity of this forgotten island is the haunting past.

Convicted with heavy sentences, most prisoners who arrived on the island could not return. According to estimates, 40% of prisoners died in the first year of arrival at the island, only about 5,000 people survived on bail.

The route to the island is also very dangerous, many inmates have perished before reaching the island. Some were killed when fighting in iron-locked cribs on boats, many were acid-shattered and fanned with heat if they did not obey orders on the ship.

Nearly 70,000 prisoners were banished to Demon Island.

"Hell on earth"

One day at this notorious prison camp was long and difficult. Prisoners have to do heavy work such as building a prison or a hospital for 12 hours a day from 6am to 6pm.

They were detained in narrow and dirty rooms with an area of ​​3.6 square meters. During the day, prisoners are allowed to move when their feet are shackled with a chain while their feet are fixed at night with a long iron bar. Many prisoners are as thin as a dry skeleton. Others are waiting to die.

Narrow, dirty rooms with an area of ​​only 3.6m2.

Fighting between prisoners often ends in blood, but most participants are not punished.

Tour guide Atlas Obscura said: 'Why punish them while being able to let things happen naturally. They will die from harsh labor or tropical illnesses and may also be due to a failed prison escape. '

Crimes and murders often occur in prisons, but are virtually unpunished.
According to News, after prisoners die, their bodies will be thrown into the sea then a ringing sound and sharks will burst into tears.

Many people tried to escape from this hellish island, but if they did not perish because the water flowed under the sea or were attacked by sharks, they got lost in a dense forest of danger.

The dead body of the prisoner was thrown into the sea for the fat to tear.

Tour guide Hermann Clarke said: 'This place is really hell on earth. Of the 70,000 inmates, up to 75% of people die from illness, hunger and abuse. Some prisoners were brought here even though they were really innocent. '

Only two cases escaped the island successfully for nearly 100 years. The first case was Clement Duval in prison in 1901. He found a safe haven in America and lived there for the rest of his life. The other case is Henri Charriere and Sylvain, the author of the famous novel adapted into Papillon film.

The island was abandoned and renovated in the 1980s to become a tourist attraction.

Prisoners after bail will be granted land and forced to stay in Guiana. The population here increased dramatically when the government deported light offenders to the island. At times, the population lives on the island to more than 100,000 people.

The island was abandoned and re-renovated in the 1980s, many of the original buildings remained intact and this place became a place to attract many tourists. For many, the fascinating part of the island is the inscription on the prison ceiling number 47, appearing in the film Papillon.