Spiraling criminal violence causes morgue to overflow, foul odors to spread in Ecuadorian city

By GONZALO SOLANO
Associated Press

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Officials in one of Ecuador’s most dangerous cities are acknowledging a building of unidentified and unclaimed bodies beyond the capacity of Guayaquil’s main morgue. The statement Thursday came after media reports that about 200 bodies in excess of the morgue’s capacity had accumulated and a refrigeration unit used to store them had failed, causing nearby residents to complain of foul odors. The statement from the Guayas provincial government was the first acknowledgment of the problem. It said the refrigeration unit at the Forensic Medicine Service morgue had been repaired. During the past week, forensic services collected 40 bodies that were victims of violence. Clashes over drugs and gangs have created unprecedented levels of violence in the city.