Five people were shot dead by unidentified men in the Caribbean region of Honduras,  a few meters away from a polling station, said Maylo Wood, the Deputy (legislative representative) for the Department of Gracias a Dios. The killings occured near a polling station.

The incident occurred at 6:30am local time (12.30 GMT) in the village of Bethlehem, in the Caribbean province of Gracias a Dios , known as La Mosquitia , bordering Nicaragua , Wood told reporters.

Two of the five victims, who until now have not been identified, died at the scene. Three others died at the Gracias a Dios state hospital, said the Deputy.

So far, the Honduran authorities have not said whether the incident is related to the electoral process, but the incident caused panic among those responsible for the polling and voters.

La Mosquitia is a region wrought with violence generated by drug gangs, who use the Honduras as a bridge for the shipment of cocaine from South America to the United States in planes and speedboats.

Last year, Honduran authorities seized more than 5,000 kilos of cocaine and about 20,000 kilos of pasta pseudoephedrine for the manufacture of ecstasy pills in different operations.

Article in Spanish: http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/elmundo/asesinan-cinco-personas-honduras-plenas-elecciones-articulo-460209