Firefighters put out one of the burning cars in Esmeraldas, EcuadorTwitter/Esmeraldas Fire Department
QUITO, May 19 (RHC) Two car bombs exploded simultaneously this Thursday in the city of Esmeraldas on the coast of Ecuador, amid the state of emergency to curb the violence.
One of the cars exploded on Avenida Cristóbal Colón between Batallón Montúfar and El Oro in front of the Luis Vargas Torres educational unit; while the other exploded in Pedro Vicente Maldonado and Eugenio Espejo streets, both at dawn today.
Javier Buitrón Flores, commander of the National Police of Subzone 8 in Esmeraldas, said in statements to Teleamazonas that no one was injured by the blasts.
Buitrón explained that the cars had been stolen hours earlier and that their owners, although hijacked, are now out of danger.
The National Police of Ecuador reported that in light of these events, “specialized and tactical units” from the institution are conducting “control and search operations” to identify those responsible and ensure the safety of residents.
After receiving the information about the explosions, Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo said via his Twitter account that several police operations were carried out in Esmeraldas on Wednesday.
“Apartments were searched, weapons, ammunition and explosives were confiscated. There are 5 detainees. Also today the arrest of 6 people, presumably in connection with human trafficking for paramilitary training purposes,” he said.
On April 29, the President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Esmeraldas, Guayas and Manabí on the country’s coast.
The measure included a 60-day curfew from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. in some communities in these entities, including Esmeraldas. (Source/RT)