At least 31 inmates died in an Ecuador prison riot, with 27 confirmed asphyxiated, marking latest deadly unrest in gang-controlled facilities
QUITO: At least 31 inmates died during violent unrest at an Ecuador prison on Sunday.
Twenty-seven prisoners were found dead from asphyxiation at the Machala prison in El Oro province.
Prison authorities stated the victims “among themselves committed asphyxiation, which caused immediate death by suspension.”
Four additional inmates died during armed clashes that erupted earlier in the morning.
Thirty-three prisoners and one police officer sustained injuries during the violence.
Local residents reported hearing gunfire, explosions, and cries for help from inside the facility.
Elite police teams entered the prison immediately and regained control after the riot broke out.
Authorities are still working to “fully clarify the facts” with forensic personnel on site.
The incident marks the latest deadly prison unrest in Ecuador’s gang-plagued correctional system.
Ecuadoran prisons have become operational centers for rival drug-trafficking gangs.
Over 500 inmates have been killed in fighting between groups competing to control the lucrative illegal trade.
The violence is believed connected to plans to move inmates to a new maximum-security prison.
President Daniel Noboa’s government built the new facility in another province scheduled for inauguration this month.
This follows another armed confrontation at the same prison in late September that left 13 inmates and a prison official dead. – AFP
