More than 50 people were killed during riots in three prisons in Ecuador, police said.
The Ecuadorian government described the incident as an organized action by criminal groups.
Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno has vowed to control violence in Andean County prisons and has declared a state of emergency for the health system due to frequent clashes between criminal gangs.
“Forensics have so far reported that more than 50 prisoners have been killed,” police said on Twitter.
Prisoner clashes have been reported in prisons located in Guayas, Azuay, and Cotopaxi provinces.
