Over 350 killed in Honduras prison fire

Events / Incidents - 16 February 2012, Thursday 14:37

COMAYAGUA, HONDURAS (QHA) - A “hellish” fire that tore through an overcrowded prison in Honduras Wednesday overnight left dead as many as 350 inmates, according to Associated Press.
Survivors told investigators the unidentified inmate set fire to his bedding in the farm prison in the central town of Comayagua, 53 miles (86 kilometers) north of Tegucigalpa. The lockup housed people convicted of serious crimes such as homicide and armed robbery, but also those who had yet to be tried.
The local governor, who was once a prison employee, told reporters that an inmate called her moments before the blaze broke out and screamed: "I will set this place on fire and we are all going to die!"
According to Comayagua Gov. Paola Castro, she called the Red Cross and fire brigade immediately after receiving the call late Tuesday night. But firefighters said they were kept outside for half an hour by guards who fired their guns in the air, thinking they had a riot or a breakout on their hands.
Officials have long had little control over conditions inside many Honduran prisons, where inmates have largely unfettered access to cell phones and other contraband.
 
QHA