Ecuador: Pickup truck explosion on busy street kills one, injures two; videos capture chilling moments | Watch
An explosion in Guayaquil, Ecuador, resulted in one death and two injuries. Governor Humberto Plaza condemned it as terrorism and vowed police would find those responsible. The area, filled with stores and restaurants, saw broken windows from the blast.
A pickup truck exploded on a crowded shopping street in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on October 14 evening, resulting in one death and two injuries. The governor described the incident as a deliberate attack.
Maj. Jorge Montanero from the Guayaquil fire department informed the local TV station Ecuavisa that the fatality was a nearby taxi driver. He also mentioned that police are currently checking all vehicles in the vicinity.
‘Evacuating all of the building as a precaution’
“We’re evacuating all of the building as a precaution,” Montanero said. When asked if it could have been a car bomb, he mentioned they would have to wait for police to investigate. “We don’t know, but a normal car doesn’t blow up like that,” he said.
In 2023, Ecuador experienced a series of car bombings amid a rise in violence following the assassination of a presidential candidate.
In March, a vehicle exploded near Ecuador’s largest prison on the outskirts of Guayaquil, killing a prison guard. Authorities reportedly linked the bombing to a criminal organisation. Other vehicle explosions occurred last year in Quito, causing only minor damage and no fatalities.
Police did not provide an immediate statement regarding the explosion.
Meanwhile, Gov. Humberto Plaza of Guayas province, whose capital is Guayaquil, said Tuesday's explosion was “terrorism plain and simple” and promised that police would find those responsible.
“We're going to grab them and they're going to pay and these people are going to be prosecuted for terrorism,” he said.
The area is packed with restaurants and stores, some of whose windows were broken by the explosion.