Hundreds of relatives of inmates killed in a Honduras prison fire broke through police barriers on Monday to demand the remains of loved ones.

Frustrated by the slow pace of the identification of the remains of some 359 prisoners, the group stormed the morgue and opened at least six body bags in a desperate search for their kin's remains, prosecutors spokesman Melvin Duarte said.

The crowd reportedly became upset after seeing some of the bodies being laid on the street.

"The bodies were about to be loaded onto a truck to be transferred to the medical school to continue with the process of identification," Duarte said.

Police responded with tear gas to chase the men and women from the morgue. No one was injured in the confrontation.

Hundreds of people have been waiting outside the morgue for their relatives' remains since the fire swept through the overcrowded prison in the city of Comayagua six days ago. A team of forensic doctors from across Latin America has identified 32 bodies so far. Of those, 16 have been returned to their families.

Honduran President Porfirio Lobo has suspended top officials from the country's prison system and called for foreign assistance in the investigation into one of the world's deadliest jail fires. The cause of the blaze remains uncertain.

ccp/dfm (AP, AFP)