Fire at US embassy in Honduras amid protests

Tegucigalpa, June 1 (IANS) The main entrance of the US Embassy in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa was left charred after demonstrators set fire to tires and objects in front of the building. The fire was extinguished by Friday afternoon, and a State Department spokesperson later said no embassy personnel were injured in the incident, reports CNN. The fire came amid days of protests by education and medical professionals, who are urging the government not to privatize their sectors. The US Embassy had previously instructed the families of US government employees to remain home during the protests. It was not immediately clear whether the embassy was the intended target of the demonstrators. A senior State Department official told CNN the incident did not appear to be serious and that staffers were seeking more information from the scene. The State Department spokesperson for Western Hemisphere Affairs later called the fire an "unacceptable" act of "violence", and said the embassy was working "closely" with Honduran authorities.
--IANS ksk