Prison Fire in Honduras Kills Hundreds, Injures Many More (VIDEO)
A prison fire that broke out in Honduras has left more than 300 inmates dead and scores other injured.
The prison fire was taken on by fire officials, who reported that it broke out Tuesday night, and was contained. However, the exact number of fatalities remain unknown, according to Jose Turcios, spokesman for the Comayagua, Honduras fire department.
Turcios also stated that about 35 prisoners were taken to a local hospital while others were transported to a hospital in the capital of Tegucigalpa, which is about 45 miles north of where the fire occurred.
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The Honduran attorney general's office estimated that least 357 people died in the blaze, according to Reuters.
The cause of the blaze is still unknown, but investigators are following reports into whether it was started by an inmate or an electrical short circuit.
The local newspaper, La Tribuna, stated that the fire could have started during a fight between prisoners and that during the blaze some inmates could have escaped.
The victims either burned to death or were asphyxiated in their cells, according to prison officials. Several were taken to various hospitals and television footage showed a chaotic scene as the rush for survivors continued.
Before daybreak on Wednesday, families of the inmates had already stationed themselves at the gates of the prison demanding to know if anyone in their families perished in the inferno.
One survivor, who gave his name as Alex, briefly talked to Honduran television cameras. He said he did not know how the fire started, but that he and the other prisoners were asleep when they awoke to the screams of fellow inmates, as reported by The New York Times.
"Everyone ran for their lives," Alex said. The prisoners forced themselves out of the prison any way they could, according to the prisoner.
The prison is believed to hold more than 900 inmates, but the number of actual inmates present during the fire is unknown.
Prisons in Central America are notorious for overcrowding, deplorable conditions and riots which has caused many deaths in the past.
To see the video of the prison fire, click below.
