Overview

• The detonation struck a busy commercial area Tuesday evening, shattering windows and damaging nearby restaurants, stores, and hotels.
• Guayas Governor Humberto Plaza labeled the incident terrorism and vowed prosecutions, while police said the origin remains under investigation.
• A Guayaquil fire official said the person killed was a nearby taxi driver, and authorities evacuated buildings and inspected surrounding vehicles.
• Witnesses described fleeing in fear after a terrifying blast that shook glass across the middle-class district.
• The incident follows recent prison-related explosions and riots as Ecuador records more than 5,200 homicides this year, with roughly a third in Guayaquil.