At least 41 dead amid violence in Honduras women's prison

At least 41 people died amid "violent events" in a women's prison in Honduras, the Public Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry said that forensic teams were dispatched to the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) in Tamara, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, to look further into the number of casualties and identify the bodies.

The ministry added that DNA testing and forensic dentistry would be used to identify some of the victims who were badly burned.

Public Ministry spokesperson Yuri Mora told CNN en Español that some of the victims had gunshot wounds while other deaths were the result of burns.

"Shocked by the monstrous murder of women in CEFAS, planned by gangs in full view of authorities," Honduran President Xiomara Castro said in a tweet, promising to take "drastic measures."

Prison facilities in Honduras suffer from overcrowding and are notorious for gang-related violence.