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At least 24 inmates were killed and another 48 were injured in clashes Tuesday at the Litoral Penitentiary located in the coastal city of Guayaquil, in southwestern Ecuador, authorities and the National Police said.
Speaking to local media, Pablo Arosemena, the governor of the province of Guayas, whose capital is Guayaquil, confirmed the number of victims in Tuesday morning's melee in different parts of the prison.
The clashes took place between gangs fighting for control of drug trafficking and other crimes planned inside the prison, said Arosemena.
Since February, it was the deadliest such incident when a series of coordinated riots at four prisons left 79 inmates dead and some 20 people wounded, including police officers.
On Twitter, the National Police said that the clashes at Litoral Penitentiary included "use of firearms and explosions."
Arosemena said that "citizens can be calm, the police and tactical forces managed to restore order in less than 24 hours" at the prison.
#SouthAmerica#Ecuador 24 inmates died and 42 were injured in violent gun battles that broke out in a prison in southwestern Ecuador. This was confirmed by the governor of the coastal province of #Guayas , citing a local police officer, Commander #FaustoBuenano. pic.twitter.com/d5ensmsgud