Vehicle explodes outside Guayaquil mall in Ecuador

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QUITO (Reuters) -A vehicle exploded outside a shopping mall in Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, killing one person and injuring several others, the country’s prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

A second vehicle containing explosives was found nearby, but did not detonate and was immediately neutralized, Interior Minister John Reimberg said, adding that police were carrying out controlled detonations and collecting evidence.

“The devices were professionally manufactured by criminal groups aiming to sow chaos,” Reimberg said in a post on X.

Authorities released surveillance footage from traffic cameras showing the vehicle catching fire before the explosion, with large flames visible coming from the car.

Guayas provincial governor Humberto Plaza, told reporters: “We will hunt down those who perpetrated this act of terrorism. We will capture them, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Authorities urged residents to stay away from the area while investigations continued. Guayaquil is one of the most violent cities in Ecuador.

The explosion follows a similar incident last month, when a vehicle detonated outside the city’s regional jail. No injuries were reported in that case.

Last week, President Daniel Noboa’s car was attacked by protesters with rocks, cracking windows as the vehicle sped past.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia, Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Michael Perry)