Prison fire in Honduras
February 15, 2012More than 270 people died in a prison fire in Honduras, with many inmates burning to death in their cells, according to local authorities on Wednesday.
Danilo Orellana, head of the Honduran national prison system, said the fire broke out on Tuesday night at a prison in the town of Comayagua, located 140 kilometers (90 miles) from the capital, Tegucigalpa. The prison housed around 800 inmates.
Comayagua fire department spokesman Josue Garcia said "some 100 prisoners were burned to death or suffocated in their cells." Garcia said many of the prisoners were trapped because the guard who had the key to their cells could not be located.
Officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze. Orellana said the fire may have been triggered by rioting prisoners or by an electrical short-circuit.
Hector Ivan Mejia, spokesman for the security ministry, said it was feared many other inmates had escaped during the fire.
slk/ncy (AP, dpa, Reuters)