Hondros, an acclaimed international photographer who had worked in conflict zones all around the world, died from injuries suffered in an explosion in the
western city of Misurata. Fellow photographer Tim Hetherington also died in the blast.
The Los Angeles Times, reporting from
Misurata, a city that saw intense fighting between rebel and government forces,
said the journalists had been working near the front lines of local militia. The
blast was believed to have been caused by a mortar round, according to the Times,
which cited doctors and colleagues.
Hondros was taken to a local medical center after suffering grave
wounds. Getty Images, for which Hondros was working, disclosed his death in a
message to CPJ late that day. Two other photographers were injured in the explosion. News
reports identified them as Guy Martin, a Briton working for the Panos photo
agency, and Michael Brown, who was working for Corbis.
Hondros, 41, an American, was a 2004 Pulitzer Prize
finalist for his coverage of the unrest in Liberia. He had also worked in hot spots
such as Kosovo, Sierra
Leone, and Afghanistan,
winning the Overseas Press Club’s Robert Capa Gold Medal in 2006 for his work
in Iraq.
His work appeared on the front page of the Los Angeles Times on the day
of his death.