TEGUCIGALPA,: A riot at a women’s prison in Honduras left at least 41 inmates dead, the country’s Public Ministry has confirmed.
Authorities have so far discovered that 25 of the victims were burnt to death and 16 were riddled with bullets at the National Women’s Penitentiary for Social Adaptation, located in the central department of Francisco Morazan, about 35 km from the capital city Tegucigalpa, Public Ministry spokesperson Yuri Mora told reporters on Tuesday.
The death toll could increase as authorities continue to search the facility, Xinhua news agency quoted the spokesperson as saying.
Delma Ordonez, a representative of the relatives of the inmates, said the riot broke out after authorities announced new rules for the prison, including banning and confiscating TVs and other devices.
According to local media, injured prisoners were transferred to a hospital in Tegucigalpa, as images of the burned corpses and other scenes of the bloody aftermath were already circulating on social media.
“We will not tolerate acts of vandalism, nor irregularities at this prison,” Deputy Security Minister Julissa Villanueva said on Twitter at the start of the riot, as she declared an emergency and authorised the “immediate intervention” of the National Police and the military, as well as firefighters. (IANS)
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