MEXICO CITY: The violent incident at a women’s prison in Honduras that left 46 people dead was believed to have been a targeted attack by a group of inmates on members of a rival gang, Honduras police said on Wednesday, reported German news agency (dpa).
Suspected members of the Pandilla 18 gang are believed to have attacked suspected members of the rival Mara Salvatrucha, known as MS-13, imprisoned them and set a fire, police spokesman Miguel Martínez said in a television interview.
Twenty-three of the women at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) in Tamara, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, died in the fire, while the others died of stabbing and gunshot wounds, Public Ministry spokesperson Yuri Mora said. So far, only 26 of the victims have been identified.
At least 12 women identified as suspected perpetrators are under investigation, the police said. The role of guards and administrative personnel is also being looked into.
Hounduras President Xiomara Castro called the crime an “outrageous murder” in a tweet.
Castro announced that Security Minister Ramón Sabillón would be replaced by National Police’s Gustavo Sánchez following the incident.
In recent weeks, there have been violent incidents in several prisons in Honduras. Castro’s government had recently appointed a special commission to deal with the crisis.
According to human rights activists, seven pregnant women and 22 children are believed to have been living in the prison. Their condition is unknown. – BERNAMA-dpa
