«Crime and Punishment

103 die in Honduras prison blaze

TEGUCIGALPA: A fire raged through a prison in the Honduran town of San Pedro Sula early on Monday, claiming the lives of some 103 inmates, officials said. "103 people are dead," Wilmer Torres, a police spokesman, said. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion before the fire broke out. Authorities said the blaze destroyed the facility, located about 240 kilometres north of the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa. "Fifty-four people who were not injured have been moved to a low security facility," Torres said. Most of the victims were young men, many of whom belonged to gangs that have become a growing problem in Honduras. afp