Honduras has suspended constitutional rights to give the army and police more powers to contain unrest, a senior government official says, after at least one person was killed in protests and looting triggered by a contested election.

Key points: Government says rights frozen to give police more power to contain unrest

Government says rights frozen to give police more power to contain unrest Opposition leaders accused government of trying to steal last Sunday's election

Opposition leaders accused government of trying to steal last Sunday's election One man was shot and killed at a protest in the city of La Ceiba

Ebal Diaz, a high official for the council of ministers, spoke on a Honduran news program shortly after the Central American country's electoral tribune said it would aim to resume a controversial presidential vote count on Saturday.

"The suspension of constitutional guarantees was approved so that the armed forces and the national police can contain this wave of violence that has engulfed the country," Mr Diaz said on national television.

He said the order would take effect at 12:00am local time on Saturday (5:00pm AEDT), but did not give details of what rights would be suspended.

At least one protester died, over 20 people were injured and more than 100 others were arrested for looting after opposition leaders accused the government of trying to steal last Sunday's election.

In a widely criticised vote count, TV-host Salvador Nasralla's early lead was suddenly reversed in favour of President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

Earlier in the day, Mr Nasralla said government infiltrators were behind the unrest, which he warned would be used to justify military curfews.

Businesses closed early and Hondurans lined up for panic purchases as groups of looters carried off TVs and washing machines from shopping centres, television images showed.

Plumes of smoke from burning tyres at barricades drifted over San Pedro Sula, the country's second city.

Military police clear a burning roadblock after dispersing supporters of Salvador Nasralla in Tegucigalpa. ( AP: Fernando Antonio )

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds.

Police sources said at least one man had been shot and killed at a protest in the city of La Ceiba, while about 12 members of the military and police force had been injured in demonstrations.

At least 10 protesters were injured in the capital of Tegucigalpa, according to the city's Hospital Escuela.

Military officials called for peaceful protests after police reports of looting in the capital and other cities.

More than 100 people were also arrested on suspicion of looting in San Pedro Sula on Friday, a police spokesman said, and local media carried footage of shops being plundered.

People flocked to supermarkets on Friday, stocking up on food and provisions as major roads and supply routes were blocked across the country by angry protesters.

"I'm filling the tank with gas in case anything happens, the situation looks bad and there are protests all over the city," said Carlos Valle, a 61-year-old pensioner, as he joined a long line of vehicles waiting at a fuel pump in Tegucigalpa.

Supporters of presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla prepare fire bombs to throw at police. ( AP: Rodrigo Abd )

Delays in result announcement

Honduras was due to publish the final result of the election at 9:00pm local time on Friday (2:00pm Saturday AEDT), the electoral tribunal said, but opposition complaints about the count impeded that.

Election results initially had Mr Nasralla leading by five points with more than half the votes counted.

They then swung in favour of US-backed centre-right Mr Hernandez after the count came to a halt on Monday and resumed over a day later, sparking protests.

The tribunal has said it will hand-count 1,031 outstanding ballot boxes with irregularities — or nearly 6 per cent of the total — after the count halted with Mr Hernandez ahead by less than 50,000 votes, or about 1.5 percentage points.

However, Mr Nasralla's centre-left alliance has called for votes to be recounted in three of Honduras' 18 departments, or regions, and refused to recognise the tribunal's special count until its demands for a wider review were met.

"If Juan Orlando wins, we're ready to accept that, but we know that wasn't the case, we know that Salvador won and that's why they're refusing the transparency demands," said Marlon Ochoa, campaign manager of Mr Nasralla's alliance.

International concern has grown about the electoral crisis in the poor Central American country, which struggles with violent drug gangs and one of the world's highest murder rates.

A man carries a boy across a burning barricade erected by supporters of Salvador Nasralla. ( AP: Rodrigo Abd )

Reuters