Ecuador prison staff rescued after days held hostage by inmates

As Ecuador grapples with an ongoing security crisis, the 178 prison staff members who had been held by inmates since Monday have been freed. The hostages included 158 guards and 20 administrative staff who were held at seven prisons across the country. Local authorities have said there will be an investigation to determine who is responsible for the hostage-taking. They also confirmed the death of a guard during an armed confrontation at a prison in El Oro province on Saturday. The security crisis in Ecuador worsened this week when armed men stormed a TV station during a live broadcast. There were also explosions reported in several cities, as well as the kidnapping of police officers. More than 1,000 people have been arrested in Ecuador since the state of emergency began on Monday, the government has said. RELATED: https://globalnews.ca/news/10217491/ecuador-violence-gangs-noboa-explainer/ Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: http://bit.ly/20fcXDc Like Global News on Facebook HERE: http://bit.ly/255GMJQ Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: http://bit.ly/1Toz8mt Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: https://bit.ly/2QZaZIB #GlobalNews #ecuador