Fifteen inmates killed in Ecuador jail clashes: prison service

At least 15 inmates were killed and 14 injured in clashes Tuesday at a prison in the Ecuadoran port of Guayaquil that has been plagued by violence, the state prison service said.

"This morning, in a pavilion of the Litoral penitentiary, serious incidents were reported between inmates, resulting in a preliminary toll of 15 dead and 14 wounded," the prison service said.

Inmates could be seen placing a body on the ground in a yard next to a long row of corpses wrapped in blankets, in AFP video taken at the scene.

In another part of the prison, dozens of prisoners sat in rows guarded by security force members.

Once seen as a beacon of stability in South America, Ecuador has become one of the world's most violent nations and a major drug trafficking hub in recent years.

Much of the violence has taken place in prisons where clashes between rival drug cartels have left more than 460 inmates dead since 2021.

The Litoral Penitentiary is Ecuador's biggest, with a population of 6,800 inmates.

The prison service said that a "significant contingent" of troops and police had been deployed to restore order at the prison, which was now under the "full control" of the authorities.