Police on Thursday successfully deactivated a vest-like explosive device that an unknown number of people allegedly attached to the chest of a security guard at a jewelry store in Ecuador’s main port city.
The guard was unharmed. Authorities would question him to try to identify any suspects, said Francesco Tabacchi, governor of Guayas state, which includes the city of Guayaquil.
Authorities did not provide further details, including a possible motive.
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Residents pray as police officers help a security guard who had explosives strapped to his torso in Guayaquil, Ecuador March 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Cesar Munoz)
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Local news reports showed that traffic in the area was halted as the guard, wearing a white shirt and dark pants, paced nervously with what appeared to be sticks of dynamite on his chest.
Police tweeted a video showing an officer in a bomb suit and the security guard no longer carrying the device, which was detonated nearby without incident.
The event was followed minute by minute through social media and local newspapers.
