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Ecuador has declared a limited State of Emergency in San Lorenzo and Eloy Alfaro, two cities in the northern Pacific province of Esmeraldas, after a car bomb caused damage to a local police command center in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The announcement was made by President Lenin Moreno in a post on Twitter Saturday afternoon.
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"I've declared the State of Emergency in San Lorenzo and Eloy Alfaro to strengthen the security of the citizens and the border, as well as to strengthen the attention of the Health, Inclusion, Risks and Housing Ministeries for an integrated solution for the affected," Moreno wrote.
There were no fatalities, but 14 police officers were injured and 95 percent of the building was damaged, along with neighboring houses, the General Prosecutor's Office (MP) reported. None of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
He decretado el Estado de Excepción en San Lorenzo y Eloy Alfaro a fin de fortalecer la seguridad de los ciudadanos y de la frontera, así como la atención de los ministerios de @Salud_Ec @InclusionEc @Riesgos_Ec y @ViviendaEc para una solución integral a los afectados.
— Lenín Moreno (@Lenin) January 27, 2018
Es un acto terrorista ligado a bandas de narcotraficantes que han sido golpeadas por las fuerzas de seguridad del Estado ecuatoriano. No vamos a permitir que nos amedrenten. Estamos tomando las medidas necesarias. Los mantendremos informados. 3/3
— Lenín Moreno (@Lenin) January 27, 2018
So far, the provincial police have determined the explosion was caused by an "explosive artifact of great magnitude," which generated a 50-meter blast. A fire was registered in the installation's dining room, but was quickly quelled by the fire department.
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