Death toll in Honduras women’s prison riot rises to 46

TEGUCIGALPA — The death toll from a riot at a women's prison in Honduras rose to 46, the spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office said on Wednesday.

Authorities are working to identify the bodies at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social, a 900-person women's penitentiary around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from capital city Tegucigalpa, Yuri Mora, spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office, told Reuters.

The violent incident took place on Tuesday and most of the victims were burned to death, while others were shot.

The riot had been planned by gang members with guards' knowledge, Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Twitter moments after the incident.

The riot was likely in reaction to a government crackdown in recent months on corruption within prisons, said Julissa Villanueva, head of the penal system on Tuesday.

Some measures to combat organized crime are set to be announced on Wednesday, according to Castro's office. 

Relatives of inmates were stationed outside the prison late Tuesday seeking to find out 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 an interview with Honduras' Channel 3 television station.

Honduras has a history of deadly prison incidents, with 18 inmates reportedly killed in a gang fight in a penitentiary in 2019, and more than 350 dying in a fire in 2012. — Reuters