The Ecuadorian authorities announced that the bodies of at least 27 inmates who had died of suffocation were found in a prison on Sunday, following riots that also resulted in the death of 4 others and the injury of dozens.
Agence France-Presse quoted the authorities as saying in a statement that they are still working to fully uncover the truth about what happened in Machala prison in El Oro province, adding that a forensic team is present at the site.
The bloody day in Machala prison represents the latest wave of unrest in the prisons of the South American country.
Ecuadorian prisons have become centers of operations for rival drug trafficking gangs, and more than 500 inmates have been killed in violence between groups vying for control of the lucrative trade.
The latest violence broke out around three in the morning (08:00 GMT) in the prison in the city of Machala, southwest of the country.
Local residents heard sounds of gunfire, explosions, and distress calls coming from inside the prison.
Prison authorities in Ecuador confirmed that 4 people died in the violence, and 33 prisoners and one police officer were injured.
She said that teams of elite police immediately entered the prison and regained control of it after the riots broke out.
However, the prison authorities did not determine the identities of the dead and the reason for the outbreak of violence.
The violence at this prison is believed to be linked to plans to transfer some prisoners to a new high-security prison, built by the government of President Daniel Noboa in another province, and which is scheduled to open this month.
At the end of September, another armed confrontation in Machala prison resulted in the killing of 13 inmates and a prison official.
