Ecuador: Ecuadorian authorities announced that the bodies of at least 27 inmates were found in a prison, having died of asphyxiation, following a riot that also left four others dead and dozens injured. In a statement, authorities said they are still working to fully determine what happened at the Machala prison in El Oro province, adding that a forensic team is on site.
According to Qatar News Agency, this represents the latest wave of unrest in Ecuador's prisons. The violence erupted in the prison last night. Local residents reported hearing gunfire, explosions, and cries for help coming from inside the prison.
Ecuadorian prison authorities confirmed that four people died in the violence, and 33 inmates and a police officer were injured. They said that elite police units entered the prison immediately and regained control after the riot broke out.
At the end of last September, another armed confrontation at Machala prison resulted in the death of 13 inmates and one prison official.