WATCH: Video Of 13 Gunmen Hijacking Ecuador TV Station’s Broadcast Goes Viral

A highly shocking incident has been witnessed where a gang of gunmen hijacked a whole newsroom staff during the live broadcast. This incident occurred on Tuesday when the faces of the gunmen could not be recognized as they were wearing masks.

The live broadcast was by a television station TC based in Ecuador. A few moments before the conclusion of the live broadcast, the miscreants arrived and forced the staff of the TV station to sit and lie on the floor. The miscreants were carrying big guns and wearing balaclavas.

In the video that went viral, those gunmen wearing balaclavas could be heard shouting, “Let the police go.” Then they said, “Tell them we have bombs.” Alerta Mundial, a Spanish news outlet shared a video of the incident on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, “URGENT: Criminals broke into TC Television and kidnapped everyone’s lives and direct in Guayaquil, Ecuador.”

Prompt Actions Taken

When the video went viral, the national police responded by dispatching specialized units to the location mentioned and updated the same on X, formerly Twitter. The same incident was showcased in another viral video in which a gang of gunmen could be spotted flaunting their gang symbols and commemorating some time before getting arrested by the Ecuadorian police.

Collin Rugg, the investor shared the video and stated, “JUST IN: The 13 thugs who took hostages on a live television broadcast in Ecuador have been arrested and will reportedly be charged with terrorism. Here are the 13 clowns celebrating and flashing their gang signs for the cameras just moments before being arrested. Life comes at you fast.”

This incident of hijacking occurred after a series of explosions and the kidnapping of seven officials from the Police. In the cities of Machala, Loja, Guayaquil, and Cuenca, along with Los Rios provinces, and Esmeraldas, various blasts were reported. However, until now the motive behind the bombardments could not be found. As per Reuters, no one has surrendered or taken the responsibility of blasts so far.

60-Day State Emergency in Ecuador

In the wake of blasts at various locations, a sixty-day state of emergency has been declared by the President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa. It will comprise a national nighttime curfew and military patrols. The president also declared 22 gangs including Los Choneros as terrorist organisations.

Armed forces have been instructed to neutralize. Moreover, this order was issued when the president received the news of the escape of the leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, Adolfo Macias.

Also Read: The India-Maldives Controversy Explained