Bloody Riots In Ecuador's Prison, 31 Convicts Died, Some Hanging

JAKARTA - The bloody riots that occurred in a prison in southwest Ecuador on Sunday left 31 inmates dead.

A total of 27 inmates in the port city of Machala, south of Guayaquil, died of shortness of breath and "direct death by hanging," according to a statement shared on X by the SNAI correctional agency.

There are no further details on how the inmates died.

SNAI reported four deaths in the same prison in a separate incident, which was successfully controlled by tactical police.

The riots were triggered by inmates' reorganization at a new maximum security facility, according to the statement.

Ecuador has faced a deadly wave of prison riots in recent years, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of inmates.

President Daniel Noboa's administration, which has pledged to take a firm stance against crime, blames the violence on gangs competing for dominance and territorial control.

In September, riots caused by gang fights in the same prison killed 14 people and injured 14 others.

A few days later, 17 other people died in prison riots in the northern city of Esmeraldas, near the border with Colombia.