At least five people died and another 16 were injured after a bomb blast in the Cristo del Consuelo neighborhood of the city of Guayaquil, in southwestern Ecuador, authorities said on Sunday. Ecuador’s National Service for Risk and Emergency Management (Sngre) said on Twitter that eight houses and two vehicles were also destroyed by the blast, which occurred in the early hours of the morning.
According to the entity, the rescue team of the Fire Department continues to remove the wreckage at the detonation site. Although no official information about the causes of the explosion has yet been provided, the version circulating on social media is that unknown people dropped a bomb at the site, as part of a clash between gangs fighting for control of drug trafficking in the city.
Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo also commented on the incident on Twitter, calling the action “a declaration of war on the state”. “Organized crime mercenaries, who have long drugged the economy, are now attacking with explosives. It’s not just a problem for the national police. It’s a declaration of war against the state. Either we unite to face it or the price will be even higher for society,” added Carrillo.
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