Tragedy Strikes as Violence Erupts in Ecuador's Litoral Prison

Fifteen people died and 14 were injured in a violent incident at Litoral prison, Guayaquil, Ecuador. The SNAI prisons agency attributed these deaths to conflicts among inmates. Ecuador has seen increasing prison violence linked to street crime and drug gangs, challenging government control.

Fifteen individuals lost their lives, and 14 suffered injuries at Ecuador's Litoral prison in Guayaquil, according to a statement from the SNAI prisons agency on Tuesday.

The agency confirmed the fatalities and casualties were the result of serious altercations among the prison's inmates, as shared on social media.

This incident adds to the grim tally of hundreds killed in Ecuadorian prisons in recent years, driven by rising street crime, which authorities attribute to drug gang-related violence, prompting urgent government interventions.

(With inputs from agencies.)