Honduras Prison Fire

Honduras Prison Fire kills 272........

There was a fire in the Honduras prison on facility in Comayagua, 90 kms north of Tegucigalpa, on February 15, 2012. The prison in Comayagua, some 100km (60 miles) north of the capital, Tegucigalpa, was holding more than 800 inmates and this prison has the world's highest murder rate, are often seriously overcrowded and hold many gang members. The fire broke out late on Tuesday night and took more than an hour to be brought under control. Many of the victims were burned or suffocated to death in their cells at the jail in Comayagua, in central Honduras.

Families flocked to the site, desperate for news. Dozens of prisoners died trapped in their cells and were burned beyond recognition. Some of them fled and escaped by breaking through the roof and leaping from the building.Comayagua fire-fighters spokesman Josue Garcia said that the sight was very bad."We couldn't get them out because we didn't have the keys and couldn't find the guards who had them," he said.

The cause of this fire is unknown whether it was a riot or a short circuit. Officials are investigating whether an electrical fault caused the blaze. Initial reports indicate the fire was caused by an electrical short-circuit, but Honduras media have also reported there was a riot in the prison just before the fire broke out. Prison service head Daniel Orellana denied this who says that either one of the prisoners set the mattress on fire or there was a short circuit.

Local hospitals are treating dozens of people for burns and other injuries. Some of the injured have been taken to Tegucigalpa for treatment, among them 30 people with severe burns.

Sources:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2106875,00.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17038259
http://news.yahoo.com/dozens-killed-fire-prison-honduras-102836794.html