31 killed in violence inside prison in Ecuador

SadaNews - 31 inmates have died and dozens more have been injured in violent incidents at a prison in the coastal city of Machala in southwestern Ecuador, marking the latest confrontations in the country’s prisons.

The Ecuadorian prison authority stated in a message on X platform that on Sunday, 27 bodies of inmates who died from asphyxiation and "immediate hanging death" were found.

The statement did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding these inmates' deaths, nor did it clarify whether they were killed by other inmates.

The statement came hours after armed riots occurred in the prison early in the morning, resulting in the deaths of 4 people and injuries to 33 others, including a police officer.

The prison authority noted that special police forces entered the prison and regained control following the riots.

Local residents reported hearing gunfire, explosions, and cries for help coming from inside the prison, and a number of relatives of inmates gathered outside the prison.

Authorities have not identified the deceased or clarified the cause of the violence in the prison, but it is believed to be related to plans to transfer some inmates to a new high-security prison that was built by the government of President Daniel Noboa in another province, which is scheduled to open this month.

This bloody day at Machala prison represents the latest wave of unrest in Ecuador's prisons, which have become operational centers for competing drug trafficking gangs, where over 500 inmates have been killed in violent clashes between groups fighting for control of the lucrative trade.

At the end of September, confrontations inside Machala prison resulted in the deaths of 13 inmates and one prison official.