At least eight inmates have died and 10 others have been injured in prison riots at two detention facilities in Ecuador, according to the country’s corrections authorities.

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The incidents occurred on Thursday, October 22, at the Cotopaxi penitentiary and the Pichincha prison, as reported by the agency responsible for managing Ecuador’s prisons, known as SNAI.

Officials confirmed that four people deprived of their liberty died at the Cotopaxi penitentiary. Another four deaths were reported at the Pichincha prison, bringing the total number of fatalities to eight. Authorities also reported 10 injuries linked to the unrest.

Photographs from Quito showed army soldiers patrolling outside the Pichincha Provisional Detention Centre following the incidents, highlighting the security response around the prison facility.

The latest violence adds to Ecuador’s continuing prison crisis. More than 500 inmates have been killed in the country’s prisons since 2021, according to the information provided in the report.

The repeated deadly incidents have made prison security a major concern for Ecuadorian authorities. The latest riots once again draw attention to the challenges of maintaining order and protecting inmates inside the country’s detention facilities.

However, the available information did not specify what triggered Thursday’s riots, whether the violence involved clashes between rival inmate groups, or whether authorities had made arrests or imposed additional restrictions following the incidents.

Further details about the injured inmates and the security measures taken at both facilities were not included in the initial report.

The deaths underscore the continuing risks inside Ecuador’s prison system, where repeated outbreaks of violence have resulted in hundreds of inmate fatalities over recent years.