41 female prisoners killed, with some burnt to death, after riot

A riot at a women’s prison in Honduras has left at least 41 dead, most of them burned to death, a Honduran police official said.

Authorities discovered 25 burnt corpses and are working to identify the bodies, a spokesperson said.

Inmates were also reportedly shot at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) prison, situated in the town of Tamara, 30 miles from the capital Tegucigalpa.

At least seven inmates were admitted at Tegucigalpa Hospital for gunshot and knife wounds, employees there said.

Julissa Villanueva, the head of the Honduras prison system, suggested the riot was a result of “the actions [authorities were] taking against organised crime”.

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Ms Villanueva said “we will not back down” following the incident.

The riot could also be linked to corruption or gang control within the prison, officials said.

Gangs often have significant influence in the country’s prisons, where inmates set their own rules and sell prohibited goods.

The riot appears to be the worst tragedy at a female detention centre in the region since 2017, when girls at a shelter for troubled youths in Guatemala set fire to mattresses in protest at rapes and other mistreatment at the overcrowded institution.

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