At least 41 women were brutally murdered in a prison in Honduras

41 women were reportedly burned, stabbed or shot to death in a gang riot that broke out at a prison in Honduras.

The horrific violence took place in the town of Tamara, on the outskirts of the Central American country's capital, Tegucigalpa.

The country's president, Xiomara Castro, said that the riots at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social were planned by "maras" - a mafia group - with the "permission" of prison guards.

The attackers "took off" the guards from the prison at 8:00 a.m. and then began massacring the women and setting fires, said the assistant commissioner for the prison system, Sandra Rodriguez Vargas.

Most of the victims (26) died due to fire, while others were killed by guns or stabbing. A group of seven people are still receiving medical treatment.

None of the guards were injured and it is not reported that any of them needed hospital treatment, reports metro.co.uk.

Weapons, including machetes and other types of sharp instruments, were found inside the prison after the riot. /Telegraph/