Death toll climbs to 18 in Ecuadorian prison riot

Quito, July 26 (IANS) The death toll from the weekend rioting at a prison in Ecuador's port city of Guayaquil has climbed to 18, the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) said.

"We have confirmed the death of 18 inmates following the clashes that took place starting on July 22 at the Litoral Penitentiary, in Guayaquil," the FGE posted on social media.

Initially, five inmates were reportedly killed and 11 people injured, including a police officer, reports Xinhua news agency.

Since the National Police and Armed Forces took control of the facility on Tuesday, authorities have been "proceeding with the removal of corpses and collection of evidence", the FGE said.

President Guillermo Lasso announced earlier that the security forces had taken control of the prison in keeping with his declaration of a 60-day state of emergency at all 36 prisons nationwide.

The decree took effect on Tuesday in a bid to head off rioting at other facilities.