Overview

• Authorities said the blast struck around 6:30 p.m. local time near Mall del Sol and offices linked to President Daniel Noboa’s family.
• The National Risk Secretariat reported about 30 wounded—mostly from shattered glass—and firefighters identified the deceased as a taxi driver.
• Police found a second vehicle containing four high‑power charges and an electronic detonator and conducted controlled detonations to secure the area.
• The prosecutor’s office opened a criminal case, ordering forensics, witness interviews, and a review of security footage that tracked two vehicles from the Cooperativa San Francisco area near the penitentiary.
• Separate explosions affecting roadway infrastructure in Guayas and the country’s south were reported the next day and are under investigation by authorities.