41 inmates died in gang fight in women's prison in Honduras
At least 25 were burned to death in a fire while the remaining 16 people died of gunshot or stab wounds.
A gang fight led to the death of at least 41 women in a Honduran prison. It all happened this Tuesday at the Centro Femenino de Adaptación Social (CEFAS). A brawl broke out in the penitentiary center located in Támara, which was reported by the Honduran Public Prosecutor's Office. The agency, through Forensic Medicine, also notified local media of the number of victims:
According to initial reports, the fight was between gangs. Barrio 18 members locked up rival Mara Salvatrucha women and then set fire to one of the modules with them inside, causing a massacre in which at least 25 people burned to death. At the same time, other inmates began to shoot other prisoners in other parts of the prison. Sixteen other people were shot or stabbed to death.
Honduran media claim that according to witnesses the killers used rifles and set the women on fire.
The deputy security secretary who is in charge of the country's prison system, Julissa Villanueva, notified officials of vandalism several hours earlier. After confirming what was happening inside the prison, Villanueva said that they would respond to what happened in CEFAS with a "hard hand":
Honduran President Xiomara Castro de Zelaya said she was "shocked" by what happened in Tamara prison. She also joined Villanueva's statements and confirmed that the government would take action: