At least 31 inmates died in a fierce prison riot in southwestern Ecuador on Sunday, the country's prison administration reported, writes UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
27 inmates in the port city of Machala, south of Guayaquil, died of suffocation and "instant death by hanging," the SNAI prison administration said in a statement on X. No other details on the cause of death of the inmates were provided.
Earlier on Sunday, SNAI reported four deaths in the same prison during another incident brought under control by tactical police forces. This riot was caused by the reorganization of inmates to a new maximum-security facility, the statement said.
Addition
In recent years, Ecuador has faced a wave of bloody prison riots, killing hundreds of inmates. The administration of President Daniel Noboa, who has promised to take a tough stance on crime, blames the violence on gangs vying for dominance and territorial control.
In September, 14 people died and 14 more were injured in riots caused by a gang fight in the same prison. A few days later, 17 more people died in a prison riot in the northern city of Esmeraldas, near the border with Colombia.