Riot at Honduras women's prison leaves 41 dead

Tegucigalpa, June 21 (IANS) A riot at a women's prison in Honduras left at least 41 inmates dead, the country's Public Ministry has confirmed.

Authorities have so far discovered that 25 of the victims were burnt to death and 16 were riddled with bullets at the National Women's Penitentiary for Social Adaptation, located in the central department of Francisco Morazan, about 35 km from the capital city Tegucigalpa, Public Ministry spokesperson Yuri Mora told reporters on Tuesday.

The death toll could increase as authorities continue to search the facility, Xinhua news agency quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Delma Ordonez, a representative of the relatives of the inmates, said the riot broke out after authorities announced new rules for the prison, including banning and confiscating TVs and other devices.

According to local media, injured prisoners were transferred to a hospital in Tegucigalpa, as images of the burned corpses and other scenes of the bloody aftermath were already circulating on social media.

"We will not tolerate acts of vandalism, nor irregularities at this prison," Deputy Security Minister Julissa Villanueva said on Twitter at the start of the riot, as she declared an emergency and authorised the "immediate intervention" of the National Police and the military, as well as firefighters.

Villanueva said investigations would be launched to prosecute "all those persons in prison who are in collusion with organised crime".

Authorities are expected to release an official death toll, along with the names of the deceased inmates, soon.

President Xiomara Castro, who last year launched a crackdown on gangs, said on social media that she was "shocked by the monstrous murder of women" and would take "drastic measures" in response, the BBC reported.

Honduras, known for corruption and gang violence, also has a history of deadly prison riots, which are often linked to organised crime.

At least 18 people were killed in gang violence at a prison in the northern port city of Tela in 2019.