a At least 41 people were killed in a confrontation between gang members on Tuesday at a women’s prison near the capital of Honduras. Tegucigalpa, a police source reported.

“41 deaths have been reported, for now,” in a brawl recorded at a women’s prison 25 km north of the capital, police spokesman Edgardo Barahona told AFP.

Deputy Security Minister Julissa Villanueva declared an “emergency” at the Women’s Center for Social Adaptation.

“We will not tolerate acts of vandalism or irregularities in that prison. Immediate intervention is allowed under the guidance of firefighters, police and military, a state of emergency has been declared,” the official wrote on Twitter.

The decision was announced hours after a fight and an outbreak of fire in Cefas, allegedly caused by prisoners of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

At least five people were injured in the confrontation and were taken to Hospital Escuela in the capital.

Delma Ordóñez, president of the Association of Relatives Deprived of Liberty, told local media The victims were part of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, which is why he suspects the attack was perpetuated by members of a rival gang, Barrio 18.

“The module was completely destroyed, it was burned in its entirety,” said Ordóñez, who said there are about 900 prisoners in the prison.

Villanueva was appointed to her post after clashes in four prisons in April left one dead and seven injured.

The deputy minister immediately announced a plan to monitor the country’s 26 prisons, which house some 20,000 inmates.

The plan includes “true disarmament through permanent manual and electronic searches of 100% of facilities” and “total blocking of the telephone signal” so that inmates cannot lead criminal actions from prisons.

According to authorities, imprisoned organized crime leaders command extortion, kidnapping, murder, drug operations and other crimes from prisons.