Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso said on Wednesday that death toll of Ecuador prison riot has risen to 116. He added that he would send additional security forces and free up funds to avoid repeat of such a violence.

On Tuesday night, another 80 inmates were injured in clashes at the Penitenciaria del Litoral in Guayas province, which has been the scene of bloody fights between gangs for control of the prison in recent months.

“It is unfortunate that criminal groups are attempting to convert prisons into a battleground for power disputes,” Lasso told reporters in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city. “I ask God to bless Ecuador and that we can avoid more loss of human life.”

(Family members of inmates wait at the Penitenciaria del Litoral jail after prisoners died and others were injured in a riot in Guayaquil, Ecuador, September 28, 2021. Picture taken September 28, 2021. )

The clash on Tuesday was the most deadly act of violence ever in Ecuador’s penitentiary system. In February and in July 2021, similar clashed took place in various prisons in the country.

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At least 79 people died in the February violence, and in July at least 22 lives were lost.

Dozens of people arrived at the jail to seek information about relatives and demand accountability from officials responsible for the inmates’ safety. The government bolstered military presence outside the facility. Lasso said the state would assist the families of dead and injured inmates.

The South American country’s prosecutor’s office said earlier on Wednesday that six of the slain prisoners at Penitenciaria del Litoral had been decapitated.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has previously condemned the violence, and Human Rights Watch urged Ecuador’s government to fully investigate the prison violence and bring those responsible to justice.

Lasso in August said the government would provide more funding for the overcrowded prison system to build new wards and install new equipment to improve security.

(With inputs from agencies)