Ecuador’s president has declared a state of emergency in the prison system after deadly clashes among gang members in a coastal prison killed at least 116 people and left 80 others injured.
The violence at the Litoral Penitentiary in the city of Guayaquil erupted after a battle broke out on Tuesday night among gang members of international drug cartels vying to capture control of the facility.
Six of those killed at Litoral prison, on the outskirts of the port city of Guayaquil, were beheaded.
Announcing the state of emergency at the prison facility, President Guillermo Lasso handed over federal powers which include deploying police and soldiers inside the prison.
The country’s national police service said it had sent in 400 officers to restore order.
