15 Inmates Die at Ecuador Prison Amid Fears of Tuberculosis Outbreak

Ecuador's prison authority on Monday said 15 inmates at the Litoral prison in the city of Guayaquil were found dead between Thursday and Sunday.

The agency said the cause of death would be determined by the medical authority and noted the inmates' bodies did not show signs of violence.

In response to a question from Reuters about the cause of death, the prison authority said it could not provide details until it had investigated each death.

Family members of inmates at the Penitenciaria del Litoral have said the prison has been the site of tuberculosis outbreaks earlier this year.

Ecuador's prison authority in November said 10 inmates at the Litoral prison were found dead and named tuberculosis as a possible cause while waiting for the results of a forensic investigation.

The authority did not comment publicly again about the cause of death in that incident.

The prison has been the site of various violent episodes in recent months, including at least 31 deaths in November after a day of rioting.