A deadly explosion rocked the bustling city of Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Tuesday evening, claiming at least one life and injuring several others. The incident occurred when a pick-up truck packed with explosives detonated outside Mall del Sol, a prominent shopping center in the northern part of the port city. Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle engulfed in flames before it exploded, scattering debris and causing widespread panic. Among the victims was a taxi driver parked nearby, who tragically lost his life. Ecuador’s Interior Minister, John Reimberg, confirmed that police discovered multiple explosive devices within the remains of the truck. Authorities also conducted a controlled detonation of a second vehicle found to contain explosives in the vicinity. Reimberg attributed the attack to criminal gangs, stating on social media platform X that the devices were ‘professionally manufactured by criminal groups aiming to sow chaos.’ The blast follows a recent incident where police defused a gas cylinder rigged with explosives outside Litoral prison, a facility notorious for housing powerful drug-trafficking gangs. Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Álvarez linked the explosion to previous attempted attacks, suggesting that the perpetrators aimed to pressure authorities into releasing jailed gang members. President Daniel Noboa’s government has declared Ecuador in a state of ‘internal armed conflict’ and designated several gangs as terrorist organizations. The incident underscores the escalating violence fueled by drug trafficking, which has contributed to Ecuador’s soaring crime rates.