2023-06-20 20:17:16
At least 41 people died in a fire and fighting in a women’s prison in Honduras, according to preliminary official information. A spokesman for the Central American country’s Attorney General’s Office said on Tuesday that the investigation would continue. Most of the victims suffered burns. The prison is located in the town of Támara, around 35 kilometers north-west of the capital, Tegucigalpa.
Organized crime was behind the incident, said Deputy Minister for Security Julissa Villanueva. According to media reports, the fire broke out on Tuesday morning (local time) following fighting between the rival youth gangs Pandilla 18 and Mara Salvatrucha. At least seven women were also injured and taken to hospitals, the television station reported. Slashing weapons are also said to have been used in the fighting. Relatives desperately gathered in front of the prison, waiting for information.
Violent acts have occurred in several prisons in Honduras in recent weeks. The government of left-wing President Xiomara Castro recently appointed a special commission to deal with the crisis in the prison system.
1687294674
#dead #Honduras #prison #fire
