ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF

At least 17 people were killed in a prison riot in Ecuador's northern city of Esmeraldas, near the border with Colombia, the country's prison agency said on Thursday.

Authorities are carrying out the corresponding investigations to clarify what happened, the agency added.

A common occurrence 

Ecuador has faced a wave of prison violence in recent years, with hundreds of inmates killed.

In 2021, the country recorded the deadliest act of violence ever reported in Ecuador's penitentiary system. 116 were left dead and six decapitated.

Relatives of inmates push fences while clashing with police to find out if their loved ones were among the dead following a riot at the Cotopaxi No 1 penitentiary, in Latacunga, Ecuador October 4, 2022.
Relatives of inmates push fences while clashing with police to find out if their loved ones were among the dead following a riot at the Cotopaxi No 1 penitentiary, in Latacunga, Ecuador October 4, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/Karen Toro)

President Daniel Noboa's government, which has pledged to crack down on crime, blames the unrest on gangs competing for territory and control inside the prison system.