Ecuador prison riot claims 13 lives

As many as thirteen inmates were killed during unrest at a prison in the Ecuadorian city of Machala, according to local media outlet Primicias.

The disturbance is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Ecuador’s prison system, which has been struggling with overcrowding and gang-related tensions in recent years.

Police said the riot broke out shortly after an explosion was heard near the prison compound.

Preliminary information suggests that an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying an explosive device may have been involved.

By Aghakazim Guliyev