13 inmates killed in Ecuador prison riot

QUITO: The number of prisoners killed during a riot at a prison in Ecuador's city of Guayaquil has increased to 13, authorities confirmed.

The riot took place in the Litoral Penitentiary amid clashes between inmates, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We regret to inform that as a result of clashes 13 prisoners are recorded dead," the National Service of Integral Attention to Adults Deprived of Liberty and Adolescent Offenders said on Thursday.

The clashes took place between inmates from rival gangs related to drug trafficking, who were fighting for control of the prison, according to prison authorities.

Tactical units of the police and the armed forces re-established order amid a day of violence, which caused damage to the prison infrastructure.

The disturbances began Wednesday afternoon with the use of firearms, which activated the corresponding protocols and a unified command post.

Since February 2021, when a wave of riots broke out at various prisons in Ecuador, around 400 inmates have been killed in detention, official statistics showed.