At least 41 women killed in Honduras prison riot started by gangs

At least 41 people died during a riot at a women’s prison in Honduras, which was started by members of rivaling gangs, the public prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday. 

The riots broke out in the early hours of Tuesday at the Centro Femenino de Adaptación Social, a 900-person women’s penitentiary located in Tamara, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the capital city of Tegucigalpa. 

Some of the victims died from gunshot wounds, while others were burned, according to the spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office Yuri Mora. Authorities are still working to identify the bodies of the victims. 

“The forensic teams that are removing bodies confirm they have counted 41,” Mora said. 

Seven other female inmates were transported to the hospital in critical condition for gunshot and knife wounds, prison employees said.  

Meanwhile, relatives of the inmates arrived outside of the prison in hopes to find out any information about their loved ones. 

"I'm looking for information about what happened to my daughter, but they still haven't informed us," a woman who identified herself as Ligia Rodriguez said in a television interview.

“There are a lot of dead, 41 already. We don’t know if our relatives are also in there, dead,” said Azucena Martinez, whose daughter was in the prison. 

According to Honduran President Xiomara Castro, the fight was planned by members of two rival street gangs, Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). Reports say that prisoners who are members of the Barrio 18 gang entered a cell block, shooting at inmates and setting them on fire. 

“I am going to take drastic measures!” Castro posted on Twitter.

Gangs have control over many of the country’s prisons, where inmates are able to set their own rules and even smuggle guns and other weapons, as well as goods. 

“The issue is to prevent people from smuggling in drugs, grenades, and firearms,” said Honduran human rights expert Joaquin Mejia, quoted by The Associated Press. “Today’s events show that they have not been able to do that.”