17 Feb 2012

Anger mounts over Honduran prison tragedy

Survivors of a Honduran prison blaze that killed more than 350 inmates have accused guards of leaving prisoners locked inside their cells while the fire burned them to death and even shooting at others who tried to escape the inferno.

honduras prison fire

The Honduran government has launched an investigation and suspended prison officials over Tuesday's blaze at a prison in the city of Comayagua, as bereaved relatives, survivors and experts blamed massive overcrowding, gross negligence by the prison guards and a failed justice system.

Reynaldo Moncada, a prison chaplain, described the tragic event as "total chaos" in a facility that was built for 250 inmates, but was holding at least 842 when the fire broke out. "People were running for their lives, shots were being fired. People were being burned alive," he said.

Rosendo Sanchez, an inmate of the Comayagua prison, awoke as the blaze started. He escaped his cell block and said he saw guards firing at other inmates trying to escape from. "It was hell here, seeing your friends, people you have known well, burn alive," said Sanchez, who added that firefighters had taken more than half an hour to reach the prison.

Other survivors said guards ignored the cries for help. Prison guards denied they had stopped inmates from escaping, while police say firefighters took only 15 minutes to arrive at the prison.

Al Jazeera English