A teacher and 6 members of a religious congregation have been kidnapped in Haiti, officials say

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Six members of a religious congregation in Haiti and a teacher have been kidnapped while gathered in front of a school in the capital, officials said.

The members are men from the Congregation of Brothers of Sacred Heart, according to a statement on Friday from religious officials.

As a result of the kidnapping, the school where it occurred has temporarily closed.

The congregation criticized what it called the “absurd and unjustified” violence that has gripped Haiti for many years, noting that no one is spared.

Last month, six nuns and two other people were kidnapped while traveling aboard a bus in the capital, Port-au-Prince. They were later released.

Nearly 2,500 people were kidnapped last year in Haiti, a more than 80% increase compared with the previous year, according to U.N. statistics. Gangs that control an estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince have been blamed for the surge in kidnappings and killings.