It's not surprising that a few prisoners will die when there is a prison fire. However, the fact that Honduras prisons are over-filled doesn't lean much to believing this fire was accidental. The statements of a few prisoners who managed to escape, after breaking down the doors, indicate that the guards were not opening the doors. Most of the prisoners are members of "street gangs" who have been rounded up by the government.
Indicative of the problem,
It was the second deadly fire in Honduras's outdated and overcrowded prisons in less than 14 months. In April 2003, some prisoners were locked in their cells, doused with gasoline and set on fire during an uprising at El Porvenir prison. Nearly 70 people, including guards and visitors, died.
The problem with outlawing street gangs is that it is often, if not usually, a way to get rid of any political opposition. In the case of Honduras, it would be my guess that this is exactly the reason the law was passed. There is a need in most countries to keep violent gangs out of the streets, however, that can usually be done with laws that are already on the books. Overbroad laws are never the answer.
