A horrific fire at a prison in central Honduras has killed hundreds of inmates, many of whom were trapped in their cells as the building burned around them. An official death toll has not been confirmed, but was originally listed at around 100 before rising to more than 270. The prison that housed more than 800 inmates was completely destroyed, according to the Associated Press. The cause of the fire is also not clear, but reports say that a riot may have broken out and that some of the survivors may have escaped in the chaos. Dozens of other inmates were taken to hospitals with burn and smoke injuires. The prison is located in Comayagua, a national forest region in the central part of the country.

Update (8:20 a.m.): The death toll is now estimated to be 357, according to France24.

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Dashiell Bennett