Ecuador Prison Riot Leaves More Than 50 Inmates Dead

(Bloomberg) -- More than 50 inmates were killed and another 12 injured in a shooting during a prison riot in Ecuador, daily newspaper El Universo reported.

Police entered the compound and found a rifle, 10 sticks of dynamite and two pistols, the newspaper said. The death toll may rise as officials survey the prison and review the extent of the riot, which started about 6:30 p.m. local time Friday, according to El Universo.

Ecuador has been plagued with prison violence this year. The country’s president, Guillermo Lasso, declared the system under emergency at the end of September after a bloody clash at a penitentiary claimed the lives of more than 100 inmates. Authorities have attributed the violence to clashes among gangs fighting for drug business.

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