Fifteen inmates die at Ecuador prison amid fears of tuberculosis outbreak

QUITO, Dec 15 (Reuters) – 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.

Family members of other inmates at the ‍Penitenciaria del Litoral have said the prison has ‍been ‍the site ​of tuberculosis ​outbreaks ⁠earlier this year. ‌The government has denied those allegations.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia, Editing by Daina Beth ⁠Solomon)