Agenzia Fides REPORT- Thirteen prisoners died in a clash between groups of prisoners and the outbreak of a fire: which took place inside a prison in Sula, an industrial city in the north of the country, where the prisoners barricaded themselves and even denied access to the fire brigade and police. The Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of San Pedro Sula, Monsignor Romulo Emiliani, went to the prison "to negotiate, as the prisoners themselves asked" and he said, before entering the prison, that " the authorities have known about this situation for a long time and are not interested in prisons, this is a time bomb that will continue to explode ".
In the note sent to Fides we learn that the fire alarm was given at noon yesterday, but after several hours no one could get close to San Pedro Sula detention center. From the local media, we learn that there are prisoners who died from the clash and others due to the fire. The Government, through the Secretary of Security, Pompeo Bonilla, has only confirmed the figure of 13 deaths, without specifying the cause.
The return of calm in the prison was only possible thanks to the intervention of the Bishop, Monsignor Romulo Emiliani, who mediated with inmates in order to put an end to internal conflict. "They made peace, I am grateful to God because it was like a miracle, because the situation was on the brink of total chaos", said Bishop Emiliani, revealing that the prisoners assured him that for now "there will not be conflicts" and they also asked the police to leave, which is what they did.
Mgr. Emiliani said that "at an appropriate time" the list of people who unfortunately died will be officially released: "We cannot anticipate names, because the appeal of the 2,400 inmates is being carried out in a place that is made to accomodate 800 people. There is lack of water in the prison. The water that was availabele was used to extinguish the fire, by the prisoners themselves, and now we are asking for drinking water, which is urgent", said the Bishop.
There is a lot of tension and concern among the general population and among the prisoners’ relatives, who immediately recalled the tragedy of February 14 in Comayagua prison (see Fides 16/02/2012), where a fire killed more than 300 prisoners who were confined in various areas of this prison. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2012
In the note sent to Fides we learn that the fire alarm was given at noon yesterday, but after several hours no one could get close to San Pedro Sula detention center. From the local media, we learn that there are prisoners who died from the clash and others due to the fire. The Government, through the Secretary of Security, Pompeo Bonilla, has only confirmed the figure of 13 deaths, without specifying the cause.
The return of calm in the prison was only possible thanks to the intervention of the Bishop, Monsignor Romulo Emiliani, who mediated with inmates in order to put an end to internal conflict. "They made peace, I am grateful to God because it was like a miracle, because the situation was on the brink of total chaos", said Bishop Emiliani, revealing that the prisoners assured him that for now "there will not be conflicts" and they also asked the police to leave, which is what they did.
Mgr. Emiliani said that "at an appropriate time" the list of people who unfortunately died will be officially released: "We cannot anticipate names, because the appeal of the 2,400 inmates is being carried out in a place that is made to accomodate 800 people. There is lack of water in the prison. The water that was availabele was used to extinguish the fire, by the prisoners themselves, and now we are asking for drinking water, which is urgent", said the Bishop.
There is a lot of tension and concern among the general population and among the prisoners’ relatives, who immediately recalled the tragedy of February 14 in Comayagua prison (see Fides 16/02/2012), where a fire killed more than 300 prisoners who were confined in various areas of this prison. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 30/3/2012
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