Ecuador prison rioting causes at least 31 deaths

A day of violent rioting at a prison in southwest Ecuador on Sunday caused the deaths of at least 31 inmates, Reuters reported citing the country's prisons agency.

Twenty-seven prisoners in port town Machala, south of Guayaquil, died due to asphyxiation and "immediate death by hanging," according to a statement shared on X by the SNAI prisons agency.

There were no other details about how the prisoners died.

Earlier Sunday, SNAI reported four deaths at the same prison in a separate incident, which was brought under control by tactical police. That riot was prompted by a reorganization of the prisoners in a new maximum security facility, according to the report.