More thant 300 inmates die in Honduras prison fire

[Judi Lynn]

More thant 300 inmates die in Honduras prison fire
Associated Press
Wednesday, February 15, 2012

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Trapped inmates screamed from their cells as a fire swept through a Honduran prison, killing at least 300 inmates, authorities said Wednesday.

Some 475 people escaped from the prison in the town of Comayagua and 356 are missing and presumed dead, said Hector Ivan Mejia, a spokesman for the Honduras Security Ministry. He said 21 people had been injured.

Dozens were trapped behind bars as prison authorities tried to find the keys, officials said.

Comayagua fire department spokesman Josue Garcia said he saw "horrific" scenes while trying to put out the fire, saying inmates rioted in attempts to escape. He said "some 100 prisoners were burned to death or suffocated in their cells."

More:
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20120215/NEWS/120219988/1004&parentprofile=1001

[Judi Lynn]

1. Honduras prison fire kills more than 350 inmates

Honduras prison fire kills more than 350 inmates
Gustavo Palencia, Reuters
February 16, 2012, 1:29 am

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A massive fire swept through an overcrowded prison in Honduras and killed more than 350 inmates, many of them trapped and screaming inside their cells.

A senior official at the attorney general's office, Danelia Ferrera, said 357 people died in the blaze that began late on Tuesday night at the prison in Comayagua, about 75 km (45 miles) north of the capital Tegucigalpa.

"It's a terrible scene ... Our staff went into the cells and the bodies are charred, most of them are unrecognizable," Ferrera told Reuters, adding that officials would have to use dental records and DNA in many cases to identify those killed.

It was one of the worst prison fires ever in Latin America.

More:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/12920191/honduras-prison-fire-kills-more-than-350-inmates/