Ecuador says deadly Guayaquil blast connected to crime gangs, investigation ongoing

Members of the security forces check in the area of an explosion that left people injured and others dead and destroyed several houses and vehicles, according to local media reports,in southern Guayaquil, Ecuador August 14, 2022. Ecuador National Police/Handout via REUTERS

QUITO (Reuters) - The government of Ecuador has authorized security forces in Guayaquil to carry out inspections of houses as part of a new state of emergency, the interior minister said, after an explosives attack killed five people over the weekend.

The blast in the working-class neighborhood of Cristo del Consuelo early on Sunday morning has been classed as a terrorist act by authorities, who blame crime gangs. A further 17 people were injured.