A perfect storm of gang atomization, internal clashes, and vigilantism made El Salvador the Western Hemisphere’s bloodiest nation in 2015.

El Salvador ended the year with at least 6,640 murders,reported La Prensa Gráfica.

The grisly statistic represents close to a 70 percent increase over 2014 homicides and gives the country a homicide rate of 104.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, the report said.

El Salvador makes up 13.6 percent of Central America’s population, yet represents 35.3 percent of Central America’s homicides, the report added.  MORE