Tegucigalpa, Honduras (CNN) -- At least 272 people were killed in a fire at a prison in central Honduras, a local fire department said Wednesday.


The blaze was under control, but the total number of fatalities
remained unknown, said Jose Turcios, spokesman for the Comayagua,
Honduras, fire department.
Some 35 prisoners were transported to a local hospital, he said, and some were then taken to a hospital in the capital.


Five of the prison's units -- or more than half of the prison -- were
affected by the fire, Turcios said. The prison holds 851 prisoners.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, he said.


The blaze broke out at 11 p.m. Tuesday (12 a.m. Friday ET).