Prison riots: 18 prisoners were killed in a fight in a Honduran prison

The gang fight has subsided as part of the ongoing wave of violence in the Central American prisons, prompting the government to declare an emergency. More than 20,000 prisoners inhabit the prison facilities in Honduras, where notoriously crowded prisoners

Prison riots: 18 prisoners were killed in a fight in a Honduran prison

A bloody gang battle took place last Friday in a northern Honduran prison, killing 18 inmates and 16 others injured, in one of the most violent incidents in the country. The brawl at a Tel Aviv facility follows a wave of violence sweeping the prisons in Honduras, where notoriously crowded prisoners are imprisoned. Following the situation, on Thursday, the government declared a state of emergency in the prison system, handing over control to security forces.

Although the incident occurred after security forces entered the alert following the wave of violence, a military official told Reuters that the forces had not yet taken over the idle prison

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A wave of violence in prisons. Prisoner in Honduras (Photo: AP)

Prison in Honduras. May 28, 2013 (Photo: AP)

Officials said since the brawl, security forces have been deployed in the jail to try to restore order at the scene. Antonio Coelho, a spokesman for the security agency "Posina," confirmed the death toll during an interview with local media.

Honduras prisons house more than 20,000 prisoners, despite the fact that they can only accommodate about 8,000 people. Battles in prisons are commonplace in the Central American state, as rival street gangs face control of facilities.

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