COMAYAGUA — 2012 · Major Tragedy
The Comayagua Prison Fire
On the night of 14 February 2012 a fire at the National Penitentiary in Comayagua, Honduras, became the deadliest prison fire on record. In the badly overcrowded prison, which had no smoke detectors or sprinkler system, inmates were trapped in their cells; about 100 could not be freed because the keys could not be found. Rescuers were slow to arrive. The fire killed 361 people. More than half of the 856 inmates on the roster had not been convicted and were held awaiting trial. An investigation involving US experts concluded the fire was most likely started by an open flame that accidentally ignited combustible material. The disaster highlighted overcrowding and neglect in Latin American prisons.
- Date
- 2012
- Place
- Comayagua, Honduras, Comayagua, HN
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 14.4600, -87.6400 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 14 February 2012Fire broke out at the prison late at night.
- 15 February 2012The toll ran into the hundreds; prison officials were suspended.
- 2012The final toll reached 361; identification took months.
Sources
- BBC News — Honduras prison fire kills hundreds bbc.co.uk ↗
- The Guardian — Honduras jail fire: most prisoners had not been convicted theguardian.com ↗
- Al Jazeera — Honduras prison fire officials suspended aljazeera.com ↗
- CNN
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- Al Jazeera
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
More cases from the 2010s
Categories
Collections
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.