Car explosion near Mall del Sol in Guayaquil kills taxi driver, injures two

A vehicle exploded Tuesday evening near the Mall del Sol shopping center on José Orrantia Avenue in northern Guayaquil, killing one person and injuring at least two others, authorities said, and prompting the evacuation of nearby buildings as police carried out controlled detonations and an investigation. Officials found a second vehicle containing explosives nearby that did not detonate and was neutralized, Interior Minister John Reimberg said.

The dead person was a taxi driver who was near the parked vehicle when it erupted around 6 p.m. local time, Maj. Jorge Montanero of the Guayaquil fire department told local authorities. Emergency responders treated injured drivers at the scene and police closed roads to allow rescue teams and investigators to work. Surveillance footage released by authorities showed flames erupting from the vehicle before the blast, according to prosecutors.

Interior Minister Reimberg characterized the devices as professionally made and said criminal groups likely aimed to sow chaos. Guayas provincial governor Humberto Plaza described the explosion as an act of terrorism and promised that those responsible would be found and prosecuted. Guayaquil police...