Another violent dawn in the Guayaquil prison left a trail of death and horror in Ecuador with at least 58 dead prisoners.  Two months ago, a clash between gangs inside the largest prison in the country ended with dozens of bodies dismembered or cremated. 

According to witnesses and information gathered by local reporters, the shots were heard in neighboring towns on Friday night but authorities did not speak about the new massacre until late Saturday morning.

The preliminary report speaks of 58 victims, all inmates, but warns that the dead could be more than reported. The figure was confirmed this morning by the governor of the Guayas province, Pablo Arosemena.

It is an episode similar to the confrontation between criminal gangs at the end of September, which claimed 119 lives that appeared as the police entered the prison to try to regain control, block by block.

The incident was the most serious in the Ecuadorian prison system and motivated President Guillermo Lasso to declare a state of emergency in all prisons in the country.

(With input from agencies)