Cause of the fire is being investigated between rioting prisoners or short circuiting — Reuters

TEGUCIGALPA:Fire has swept through a prison inHonduras, killing hundreds of inmates and leaving as many injured.

The head of the national prison system, Danilo Orellana, said the fire broke out Tuesday night at a prison in the town ofComayagua. Officials are investigating the cause of the blaze but two theories are that it was triggered by rioting prisoners or by an electrical short-circuit, he said.

The facility held at least 800 inmates and is located 140 kilometers (90 miles) north of the Central American country's capital,Tegucigalpa.

It is feared that many inmates escaped during the fire, said Hector Ivan Mejia, spokesman for the government's security secretariat.

Radio reports from Comayagua said dozens of prisoners were burned beyond recognition as they were trapped in their cells. The reports said the prison was destroyed by the flames.

Honduran forensic official confirmed that the inmate death count from prison fire reaches at least 272.