The Coordinator of the Public Ministry, Danelia Ferrera, confirmed that a total of 355 inmates lost their lives in the fire on the night of Tuesday, February 14th.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Carlos Rivera, said that security was installed at the morgue to maintain order and assist those affected, as relatives of prisoners who died in the Comayagua prison fire have crowded the capital morgue. “The zone can only be entered by those who are making inquiries; the relatives are gathered in a specified area,” he explained.

A ‘camp’ has been created for the families, on the premises of the National Institute of Vocational Training in Tegucigalpa. The identification of victims by grieving relatives is a long and agonizing process for those who wish to give a Christian burial to their dead.

Copeco staff members assist with food, providing mattresses, water and sanitation for the relatives staying at the camp while the bodies from the tragedy are being autopsied. The National Autonomous University of Honduras, Red Cross and other organizations are supplying medical and psychological assistance to people who need it.

Honduras forensic physicians, supported by international experts, were advancing today in the hard work of identifying the burned bodies of more than 350 prisoners.

“The first 115 corpses in refrigerated containers arrived Wednesday night at the morgue in Tegucigalpa, a distance of 90 km from Comayagua, another 146 in the morning, and the rest through the course of the day, so expert technicians can undertake the identification,” said the Minister of Security, Pompeyo Bonilla.

Many families are just waiting to find out if their relative is one of those at the facility. As many prisoners escaped, it difficult to know. Relatives may have to wait, possibly days, to simply find out if their loved one is there.

The Secretary of the National Congress, Rigoberto Chang Castillo, last night introduced a motion to allow the delivery, without autopsies, of the bodies of prisoners that are recognizable by their families. The autopsy process is time consuming, and the sheer volume of remains adds to the burdensome task.

According to the Attorney General, Roy Urtecho, only two prisoners, José Alonso Chavarría and Ángel López, who died in the hospital, have been delivered to their families.